Mottl07a

ARTICLE IN PRESS
Chemie der Erde 67 (2007) 253–282

www.elsevier.de/chemer
INVITED REVIEW
Water and astrobiology
Michael J. Mottla,d,, Brian T. Glazera,d, Ralf I. Kaiserb,d, Karen J. Meechc,d
a
Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
b
Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
c
Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
d
NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Hawaii, USA
Received 3 August 2007; accepted 13 September 2007
Abstract
Water is formed from two of the three most abundant elements in the universe and so is abundant in interstellar
space, in our Solar System, and on Earth, where it is an essential compound for the existence of life as we know it.
Water ice acts as a substrate and reactant in interstellar clouds of gas and dust, enabling the formation of organic
compounds that are important precursors to life and that eventually became incorporated into comets and asteroids in
the early Solar System. Laboratory experiments have allowed us to infer the reaction pathways and mechanisms by
which some of these compounds are formed. In these reactions, water can act as an energy transfer medium, increasing
product yields, or it can lower yields by diluting reaction centers. Water can also destroy organic compounds when
water ice decomposes under ionizing radiation and the decomposition products attack the compounds; whether this
happens depends critically on temperature and structure of the ice, whether crystalline or amorphous. Ice structure and
temperature also largely determine its gas content. As the solar nebula collapsed, icy mantles on interstellar grains
probably sublimated and then recondensed onto other grains, thus influencing the transport of energy, mass, and
angular momentum in the disk. Icy grains also influenced the temperature structure of the disk because they influence
mean disk opacity. Outside the ‘‘snow line’’ at 3–5 AU icy grains accreted to become part of comets and planetesimals
that occupy the region of the outer planets, the Kuiper belt, and the Oort cloud. Water was acquired by the growing
Earth by several mechanisms. Evidence from noble gas isotopes indicates that Earth achieved sufficient mass fast
enough to capture an early H-rich atmosphere from the Solar nebula itself. Although the remnant of this primary
atmosphere is now found only in the mantle, it may also reside in the core, which could contain most of the H on Earth
(or none at all). The bulk silicate Earth contains only 500–1100 ppm H2O, an amount small enough to explain by
‘‘wet’’ accretion, although most of it probably accumulated with the latter half of Earth’s mass from wetter planetary
embryos originating beyond 1.5 AU. Degassing on impact delivered water to Earth’s surface, where it dissolved into a
magma ocean, a process that likely saved it from loss during subsequent catastrophic impacts such as the Moon-
forming giant impact, which resulted in 499% loss of the noble gas inventory. Although most of Earth’s water
probably came from meteoritic material, the depletion on Earth of Xe relative to Kr strongly suggests a role for
comets. The role of water in supporting life is an essential one on Earth and probably elsewhere, given the unusual
properties of water compared with other potentially abundant compounds. Its dipolarity, high boiling point and heat
of vaporization and, for ice, melting temperature; its expansion on freezing; and its solvent properties make it an ideal
medium for life. Life originated early on Earth, indicating an abundance of water, nutrients, precursor molecules,
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 808 956 7006; fax: +1 808 956 9225.
E-mail address: mmottl@soest.hawaii.edu (M.J. Mottl).
0009-2819/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2007.09.002
ARTICLE IN PRESS
254 M.J. Mottl et al. / Chemie der Erde 67 (2007) 253–282
substrates, and appropriate physical and chemical conditions. Life adapted quickly to (and may have originated in)
extreme environments, of heat, cold, dryness, saltiness, and acidity. This adaptation to extreme conditions bodes well
for the prospect of finding life elsewhere in our Solar System and in planetary systems around other stars.
r 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Water; Astrobiology; Interstellar medium; Solar System; Origins; Oceans; Atmosphere; Life
1. Introduction out onto sub-micron-sized dust grains and formed icy

mantles surrounding silicate and carbonaceous cores.
The most abundant element in the Universe is H, Grain surface chemistry allowed formation of more
produced in the Big Bang and burned in stars ever since. complex molecules. Water ice is abundant in the interior
The third most abundant element (He is second) is O. of molecular clouds, where 10% of oxygen atoms are
These two elements combine to make H2O, one of the bound up as water ice (Allamandola and Sandford,
most abundant constituents of the Universe and of our 1988).
Solar System. Water is also one of the most important Direct observation of the abundance and distribution
compounds for living things, for while we can imagine of water in space is challenging from our terrestrial
life in environments free of water, liquid water is an observatory because of the water vapor in Earth’s
essential compound for life, as we know it, so much so atmosphere. Additionally, UV radiation from the
that ‘‘follow the water’’ has become a mantra of the interstellar radiation field destroys molecules unless
young science of astrobiology. Here we review the there is sufficient extinction of light by dust that the
origin, occurrence, and behavior of water in the ice can survive. This shielding occurs in dense molecular
interstellar medium (ISM), in our Solar System, and clouds, cold aggregates of gas and dust that are the
on Earth, and its intimate relationship with life. precursors of star and planet formation. Because water
ice absorbs radiation strongly in the near-infrared, near
3 mm, its presence can be mapped in regions where
background starlight passes through dust clouds. Water
2. Water in space chemistry can also be inferred through observations of
related species at sub-millimeter wavelengths, where
2.1. Its physics and how we study it there are observable spectral line emissions outside the
terrestrial water absorption bands.
The Big Bang that created our Universe synthesized The gas and dust in the ISM undergoes considerable
only the three lightest elements, up to 7Li, and the processing as it passes from a diffuse cloud into star
lightest of all, hydrogen, was most abundant. Its formation, a protoplanetary disk, and ultimately to the
isotopic ratio, D/H, was also set initially in the Big planet-formation stage. The chemistry of deuterated
Bang (Table 1). Oxygen necessary to make water did not molecules is highly sensitive to temperature. Deuterium
come until it was synthesized along with other heavy (Table 1) is enriched in interstellar ices in cold dense
elements in the nuclear furnaces of the first generation of concentrations of the ISM via complex gas-phase and
stars. Subsequently, in the cold environment of inter- gas–grain chemical reaction networks involving thou-
stellar clouds of dust and gas, volatile molecules froze sands of reactions (Brown and Millar, 1989a, b; Millar,
2003). The first phases of star formation are character-
Table 1. Astronomical D/H values ized by dramatic changes in chemical composition,
Source D/H value 106 Per mil including extremely enhanced molecular deuteration as
heavy molecules freeze out onto grain surfaces (Ceccar-
Big bang 16 897 elli et al., 2007).
Interstellar 14–22 910 to 858
medium
Star forming 400–1500 +1568 to +8630 2.2. Water in space: its role in chemical reactions
regions
Solar Nebula/ 25 871 The molecular composition of interstellar space shows
System a great diversity, ranging from small molecules like
Comets 310 +926 hydrogen (H2) to astrobiologically important species
Meteorites 70–450 550 to +1889 like the carbon hydrate glycolaldehyde (HOCH2CHO)
C-Chondrites 120–300 229 to +926 (Hollis et al., 2000). Over 130 molecular species have
Earth oceans 160 0
been observed so far (http://www.cv.nrao.edu/Eawootten/
(SMOW)
allmols.html). About one-third were detected as well in
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M.J. Mottl et al. / Chemie der Erde 67 (2007) 253–282 255
cometary comae, implying that some cometary material

has an interstellar origin, or at least that similar
chemistry takes place in the ISM and in comets. For
this reason, the study of how organic material is formed
in the ISM has wide repercussions in astrobiology.
Comets might have delivered precursor molecules to the
prebiotic Earth (Chyba et al., 1990) that would act as
building blocks of biologically important molecules such Fig. 1. Three different C2H4O2 isomers that have been
as amino acids and carbon hydrates (Ehrenfreund et al., observed in the interstellar medium.
2005).
As astronomical detection techniques have improved
– from millimeter arrays to space-born infrared tele- glycolaldehyde HCOCH2OH (Fig. 1) – are considered as
scopes – increasingly complex species up to carbon the key molecules in astrobiology (Sorrell, 2001) and
hydrates (‘‘sugars’’) have been observed both in both the also of cometary matter, as in comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-
gas phase and ices (Snyder, 2006). Yet the degree of Bopp) (Crovisier et al., 2004). CH3COOH was first
complexity reached by organic chemicals in space prior detected in a hot core source Sagittarius B2(N) (Sgr B2)
to their incorporation into comets and asteroids is still (Mehringer et al., 1997), and later also toward W51e2
largely unknown. Laboratory work has been important (Remijan et al., 2002). It is considered the precursor to
for understanding reaction pathways and modeling the simplest amino acid glycine (Dyson, 1999).
reaction networks in the ISM and comets. This was HCOOCH3 is ubiquitous in the ISM and has been
underscored by recent laboratory synthesis of methanol observed not only in hot cores like Sgr B2, but also in
in the gas phase (Geppert et al., 2006), which demon- molecular clouds such as OMC-1. Relative abundance
strated that pathways involving gas-phase reactions are with respect to CH3COOH is 20–100 in Sgr B2 and
inadequate to explain its presence in many ISM W51e2 (Mehringer et al., 1997). The recent identification
environments. Methanol is, after all, a key player in of HOCH2CHO in Sgr B2 is a significant milestone from
the formation of complex organic molecules of astro- an astrobiological viewpoint. Glycoaldehyde represents
biological interest. These are found in the ISM, from hot the first member of monosaccharide sugar – a hydro-
cores in massive star formation regions to hot corinos, xyaldehyde diose – and denotes an important biomarker
circumstellar envelopes, protoplanetary nebulae, and in that can react to HOCH2CHO phosphates (Krishna-
comets (Ziurys, 2006). For a large number of species, the murthy et al., 1999) and complex sugars such as ribose.
formation pathways involve gas–grain chemistry (reac- The latter is the building block of ribonucleic acid,
tion occurring on surfaces of ices coating dust grains) or which carries genetic information in living organisms.
chemistry in ices following deposition of ionizing Carbon hydrates such as HOCH2CHO also play a role
radiation (cosmic rays) and/or UV photons, but little in vital chemical reactions (Weber, 1998). These species
is known about these processes, even for the simplest have been proposed to form on early Earth via the
precursors of biogenic molecules, such as methanol and polymerization of two H2CO molecules. Serious con-
formaldehyde (H2CO). Formation of methanol in ices, sideration has been given to the hypothesis that
e.g., is still controversial (Wada et al., 2006; Gerakines astrobiologically important molecules such as HOCH2-
et al., 2000). CHO could have been produced in extraterrestrial
Among the molecules detected in the interstellar gas environments and were then introduced to Earth during
phase, structural isomers – molecules with the same the formation of the Solar System, possibly as a
chemical formula but with different arrangement among component of interstellar material or by comets during
the atoms – play a crucial role in untangling their the period of heavy bombardment (Basiuk and Douda,
formation processes. Since the relative abundances of 1999; Greenberg, 2002). Analysis of meteorites such as
structural isomers depend strongly on physical and Murchison and Murray also indicates a large proportion
chemical conditions, isomers can act as tracers to expose of complex organic matter including sugars to support
temperature- and density-dependent routes for forming this claim (Dworkin et al., 2001). HCOOCH3 was also
complex molecules. The structural isomers cyanoacety- identified via microwave spectroscopy in the coma of
lene, isocyanoacetylene, and the carbene structure comet Hale-Bopp at intensities of 0.05 relative to water
(HNCCC) played a crucial role in determining the (Rodgers and Charnley, 2001); upper limits of
relative importance of neutral – neutral vs. ion – CH3COOH (0.06) and HOCH2CHO (0.04) were pro-
molecule reactions in the gas phase of cold molecular vided too. CH3COOH was detected tentatively via mass
clouds such as TMC-1 (Huang et al., 1999). spectrometry in Halley. In the ISM, observations with
Among the organic molecules identified in the ISM, millimeter arrays with improved spatial resolution show
the three structural isomers of the C2H4O2 series-acetic differences in the abundance of these isomers in distinct
acid (CH3COOH), methyl formate (HCOOCH3), and environments (Remijan et al., 2005) indicating that local
ARTICLE IN PRESS
physical and chemical conditions influence the selective can actually be formed on grain surfaces or inside icy
production of complex, astrobiologically important grains. Ices, with thickness up to a few tens of
molecules. This shows the importance of correlating nanometers, consist predominantly of H2O, CH3OH,
laboratory experiments with astronomical observations. CO, CO2, and of minor components like NH3, H2CO,
Recent theoretical and experimental work on ion– HCN, carbonyl sulfide (OCS), and CH4 (Fraser et al.,
molecule reactions has shown quite clearly that gas- 2002; Ehrenfreund and Schutte, 2000). Chemical evolu-
phase reactions cannot account for the presence of tion of extraterrestrial ices and formation of new
molecules readily found in ISM environments, such as molecules by UV photons (Allamandola et al., 1999;
HCOOCH3 and even its precursors methanol, H2CO, Ehrenfreund et al., 2001; Gerakines et al., 2001, 1996)
and others. Specifically, models based on pure gas-phase and cosmic ray bombardment have been well established
chemistry focusing on ion–molecule reactions of, for (Hudson and Moore, 1999). Data from the Infrared
instance, methanol and H2CO (Herbst, 1995) yield a Space Observatory suggest that deep inside photon-
factor of 50–100 less than observed (Lee et al., 1996). shielded molecular clouds such as Barnard 68 (B68), ices
Mehringer et al. (1997) suggested an alternative to gas- are processed predominantly through either charged
phase reactions. As the velocity of CH3COOH in the particles of the galactic cosmic radiation field consisting
ISM of SgrB2 is close to ethanol and dimethylester, of about 98% protons (p, H+) and 2% helium nuclei (a-
species that are thought to be synthesized on interstellar particles, He2+) at a distribution maximum of a few
grains, these molecules are implied to be cospatial. They MeV (Madey et al., 2003; Baragiola, 2003) or by neutral
have been proposed to form via grain-surface reactions particles, predominantly atomic H (Barker and Auer-
(Hasagawa and Herbst, 1993) in cold molecular clouds bach, 1984; Zhdanov, 2000).
(van Dishoek, 1998) through radical–radical reactions Therefore, to understand fully the formation of the
on interstellar grains-sub-micrometer-sized silicate – and C2H4O2 isomers CH3COOH, HCOOCH3, and HCO-
carbonaceous-based particles – and then to be liberated CH2OH on and inside extraterrestrial ices, and to
into the gas-phase via sublimation in hot cores when the quantitatively pin down their role as evolutionary
surrounding matter is heated by the embedded protostar tracers in astrobiology, it is imperative to conduct
(Millar and Hatchell, 1998; Charnley et al., 2001). Millar systematic laboratory experiments on how these isomers
and colleagues extended previous reaction networks and are formed in extraterrestrial ices. These studies mimic
injected various saturated molecules from ices into the the astrobiological evolution of distinct interstellar and
gas phase to simulate these grain sublimation processes Solar System environments both chemically (chemical
(Charnley et al., 1992; Millar and Hatchell, 1998). composition of the ices) and physically (temperature,
However, even those refined models, while fitting radiation exposure). The ultimate goal of these experi-
observed abundances of complex molecules, still ments is to provide reaction mechanisms and production
strongly underestimate their number densities. Garrod rates of CH3COOH, HCOOCH3, and HCOCH2OH first
et al. (2007) used a coupled gas-surface model to show in model ices and then in water-rich, realistic astro-
that species such as dimethyl ether, HCOOCH3 and physically relevant ices.
formic acid observed in hot cores are not made
following sudden evaporation of methanol in the gas 2.2.1. The retro-synthesis of C2H4O2 isomers
phase, but during a slow warming of ices coating grains. To guide the selection of the ice mixtures, it is
Yet, this statement is more about the inability of gas- customary to conduct a retro-synthetic analysis of
phase reactions to explain the presence of these CH3COOH, HCOOCH3, and HCOCH2OH. In this
molecules than about knowledge of rates, kinetics, and method, chemical structures of the C2H4O2 isomers are
energetics of species being formed on ices/grains. This related to the structure of simple molecules detected on
reveals that key routes to form these C2H4O2 isomers interstellar ices, including H2O, CO, CO2, CH3OH,
and complex organic molecules like carbon hydrates on H2CO, CH4, NH3, and COS (Allamandola et al., 1999).
interstellar grain material are still unknown. Using this approach Bennett and Kaiser (2007a, b) and
The crucial role of grains and grain mantles in Bennett et al. (2007) determined that (1) a binary model
producing H2 and simple hydrides such as water, ice of CO/CH3OH leads to the formation of all three
ammonia, and methane has been recognized explicitly C2H4O2 isomers, (2) the binary ice CO2/CH4 may form
(Cazaux and Tielens, 2002). Roser et al. (2001) showed CH3COOH and HCOOCH3, and (3) two H2CO
that oxidation of CO by O atoms in ices is a viable route molecules can form HOCH2CHO and HCOOCH3
to the formation of CO2 in quiescent clouds, where solid (Table 2). There are therefore three model ices that
CO2 has been observed without the intervention of can form the three isomers.
charged particles. The chemistry of CO is very
important in the formation of complex organic mole- 2.2.2. Abundances of precursors in interstellar ices
cules in ISM environments but no consensus has been The relative abundances of the precursor molecules
reached whether molecules such as the C2H4O2 isomers listed in Table 2 allow us to evaluate the relative
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Table 2. Model ices and predicted reaction products but at much smaller abundances of o20% CO2 and
1–4% CH4 relative to water. H2CO can be found at up
Model ice Acetic acid Glycolaldehyde Methyl formate to 10% (Boogert et al., 1996, 1997, 1998; Keane et al.,
CO/CH3OH + + + 2001).
CH4/CO2 + + Based on relative abundances, CO/CH3OH ices
H2CO + + should have the highest probability to synthesize
CH3COOH, HOCH2CHO, and HCOOCH3 upon inter-
action with ionizing radiation, followed by CH4/CO2-
importance of each of the systems to be investigated. bearing ices and H2CO.
Carbon monoxide is the second most abundant mole-
cule condensed on dust grains in the ISM, after water. 2.2.3. Water-rich astrophysical ice analogs
However, the solid-state CO abundance and distribution As water is the dominant component of interstellar
in different interstellar dust clouds is heavily dependent and cometary ices (Allamandola et al., 1999), the effects
on the history and present conditions of the cloud. of water admixture are critical. Water can influence the
Temperature has a great effect on the proportion of outcome of a chemical reaction in three ways:
solid vs. gaseous CO, which can range from o1 to 60%.
After cataloging a number of interstellar sources, Chiar (1) Water can act as an energy transfer medium. All
et al. (1998) found that there are three different types of astrobiologically important C2H4O2 isomers are
interstellar dust clouds. The first has a higher fraction of formed via radical intermediates. In a gas, the
CO in apolar ices with only a weak absorption for CO in recombination products are not stable due to
polar ices and a total abundance of CO/H2O of 425%. internal energy gained from the formation of a
The second group usually has equal amounts of CO on new chemical bond in the radical–radical recombi-
apolar and polar grains where the percentage of CO/ nation. These initially formed reaction products will
H2O is 0–20%. The last group contains embedded therefore break apart. In the solid state, however,
objects where no CO was detected; CO appears to have the internal energy of each radical–radical recombi-
been sublimed at elevated temperatures. For some nation product can be transferred to the surrounding
young stellar objects (YSOs) in group II (W33A, Mon water matrix via phonon interaction. This is
R2 IRS 2, r Oph-Elias 29, Elias 32, WL5, WL12), the important in stabilizing the newly formed molecules
non-polar interstellar dust grains can only be composi- in water-rich ice mantles.
tionally modeled using greater than 90% CO, meaning (2) The incorporation of water ice can dilute reaction
that there exist icy grains in some regions of the ISM centers. For a chemical reaction to produce the
containing almost pure CO. astrobiologically important molecule in the solid
Methanol has long been known to be a constituent of state, both radical reactants must be in close
the icy mantle on interstellar grains; however, its proximity, preferably as neighboring molecules.
abundance relative to water is highly variable. A survey The radicals being considered are very complex
of 23 infrared sources by Gibb et al. (2004) using the and heavy. In strong contrast to light atoms such as
Infrared Space Observatory found large discrepancies in atomic H, these radicals are immobile in ices at low
the methanol abundance derived, in particular, when the temperature. By adding water, we can investigate to
3.53 mm (2828 cm1[C–H stretch]), and 3.95 mm what extent it separates the reacting radicals in the
(2531 cm1 [C–H stretch]) bands were used. For the ices. This will certainly have an effect on the absolute
high mass YSO Orion BN, the 3.53 and 3.95 mm bands production rates of astrobiological molecules.
implied upper limits of 4% and 27%, respectively, (3) Water molecules can actively participate in ice
relative to water. For the intermediate mass YSO AFGL chemistry. It is well known that water can undergo
989, by contrast, the 3.53 mm band yielded an abundance unimolecular decomposition upon exposure of water
of 23%, whereas the 3.95 mm band yielded only 2%. ices to ionizing radiation. The product yields depend
Despite these inconsistencies, a general trend between strongly on the temperature and structure of the ice,
methanol abundance and the amount of energetic i.e., crystalline vs. amorphous. Here, the primary
processing occurring within the astronomical environ- decomposition products can react with the astro-
ment was suggested. The ices in the line of sight from biologically important radicals and molecules, thus
Elias 16 are thought to be in a quiescent environment reducing production rates.
from which a methanol abundance of only 3% was
reported. On the other hand, the ices surrounding high 2.2.4. Laboratory simulation setup
mass YSOs have abundances as high as 15–30% relative Bennett et al. (2004) carried out experiments in a
to water. contamination-free ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber
Besides the abundant CO and methanol constituent, (Fig. 2). It consists of a 15 L stainless steel cylinder that
CO2 and CH4 have also been detected in interstellar ices, can be evacuated to 5 1011 Torr by a magnetically
ARTICLE IN PRESS
suspended turbopump backed by an oil-free scroll meter in residual gas-analyzer mode. Accounting for
pump. A two-stage closed cycle helium refrigerator – composition, energy, and flux of the cosmic ray particles
interfaced to a differentially pumped rotary feedthrough and the energy range of the generated secondary
– is attached to the lid of the machine and holds a electrons, one second of charged particle irradiation
polished silver (111) single crystal. This crystal is cooled simulates about 108 s in the ISM. Accounting for typical
to 10.470.3 K, serves as a substrate for the ice life time of cold molecular clouds of 105–106 years, the
condensates, and conducts the heat generated from the irradiation experiments have to be conducted for 1–10 h.
impinging charged particles to the cold head. To Recall that the ultra-high vacuum conditions in the
minimize the radiative heat transfer from the chamber simulation chamber limit condensation of one mono-
walls to the target, a 40 K aluminum radiation shield is layer of residual gases to 70 h; comparing these data
connected to the second stage of the cold head and with the actual experimental time of up to 10 h demon-
surrounds the crystal. Ice condensation is assisted by a strates the contamination-free conditions achieved with
precision leak valve. During the actual gas condensa- this apparatus.
tion, the deposition system can be moved in front of the Ices were irradiated isothermally with 5 keV electrons;
silver target. This guarantees a reproducible thickness typically, the experiments are first conducted at 10 K –
and composition of the frosts. To allow selection of the the lowest temperature achievable – to limit any thermal
target temperature, a temperature sensor, cartridge effects. These results are compared with those obtained
heater, and programmable controller are interfaced to at higher temperatures to elucidate the role of non-
the target; any temperature between 10 and 350 K can be equilibrium (suprathermal) chemistry, which is tempera-
obtained. This allows simulation of low-temperature ture independent, vs. traditional, thermal chemistry. To
conditions in cold molecular clouds and of comets in the guarantee an identification of the reaction products in
Oort cloud (10 K), as well as of sublimation in the hot the ices and those subliming into the gas phase on line
molecular core stage (100–300 K) and in comets and in situ, two detection schemes are incorporated: a
approaching perihelion (100–300 K). Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and a
Ices are condensed on the silver target by a baked gas quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The chemical
deposition system. The thickness of the ice layers (a few modification of the ice targets is monitored during the
tens of nanometers) can be determined via infrared experiments to extract time-dependent concentration
spectroscopy. The surface temperature of the sample can profiles and hence production rates of newly formed
be quantified during irradiation using a mass spectro- molecules and radicals in the solid state. The latter are
Fig. 2. Schematic top view of the simulation chamber, irradiation unit, quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), Fourier transform
infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and the gas condensation unit. The deflection plates fine-tune the center of the charged particle beam
on the sample. The ion gun can be replaced by an electron source.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
sampled via a Nicolet FTIR spectrometer (10,000– as well. Hydrogen peroxide was formed via two path-
500 cm1) operating in an absorption–reflection– ways, a recombination of two OH radicals as in reaction
absorption mode; spectra are accumulated for 2.5 min (4), and/or reaction of electronically charged O with
at a resolution of 2 cm1. Since experiments are con- water through an oxywater intermediate as in reaction
ducted for up to 10 h, one can therefore also follow the (5). Note that O2 can be formed via simple recombina-
temporal evolution of the newly formed species. This tion of ground-state oxygen atoms relaxed from the
gives additional information on the reaction mechanism. electronically excited state as in reaction (6). It should be
The infrared beam is coupled via a mirror flipper outside stressed that once oxygen is added to the water sample,
the spectrometer, passes through a differentially additional reaction pathways can be opened such as the
pumped potassium bromide window, is attenuated in successive addition of two hydrogen atoms to molecular
the ice sample before and after reflection at a polished oxygen-forming hydrogen peroxide (Zheng et al.,
silver wafer, and exits the main chamber through a 2007a, b).
second differentially pumped KBr window before being Y
H2 OðX1 A1 Þ ! Hð2 S1=2 Þ þ OHðX2 O Þ; (1)
monitored via a liquid nitrogen cooled detector
(MCTB). The gas phase is monitored by a QMS (Balzer
H2 OðX1 A1 Þ ! Oð1 DÞþH2 ðX1 Sg þ Þ; (2)
QMG 420) with electron impact ionization at 90 eV
electron energy of the neutral molecules in the residual
Hð2 S1=2 Þ þ Hð2 S1=2 Þ ! H2 ðX1 Sg þ Þ; (3)
gas analyzer mode (1–200 amu). The raw data, i.e., the
temporal development of the ion currents of distinct Y
2OHðX2 1
O Þ ! H2 O2 ðX AÞ; (4)
mass-to-charge ratios, are processed via matrix interval
algebra to compute absolute partial pressures of the gas-
Oð1 DÞ þ H2 OðX1 A1 Þ ! H2 OOðX1 AÞ ! H2 O2 ðX1 AÞ;(5)
phase molecules (Kaiser et al., 1995).
Oð3 PÞ þ Oð3 PÞ ! O2 ðX3 Sg Þ: (6)
2.2.5. Experimental results
Experiments irradiating the ice mixtures in Table 2 at
10 K allowed construction of a quantitative, mechanistic
model for the formation of three astrobiologically 2.2.6. Summary and implications
important biomarkers on and inside interstellar, water- We have conducted systematic laboratory studies on
rich ices: CH3COOH, HCOOCH3, and HCOCH2OH the formation of three C2H4O2 isomers CH3COOH,
(Bennett et al., 2006, 2007; Bennett and Kaiser, HCOOCH3, and HCOCH2OH on binary model ices of
2007a, b). The mixture of CO and methanol produced CO–methanol (mixture 1) and CO2–CH4 (mixture 2).
HCOOCH3 and glycoaldehyde, whereas the mixture of These ices were selected based on a retro-synthetic
CO2 and methane produced only CH3COOH. We also approach and on the abundances of these molecules in
studied the effects of ionizing radiation on pure water the ISM. In mixture 1, we identified two isomers,
samples at various temperatures between 10 and 150 K. HCOOCH3, and HOCH2CHO, whereas in mixture 2
Our ultimate goal is to investigate ternary mixtures of only CH3COOH was detected. Considering the chemical
H2O/CO/CH3OH and H2O/CH4/CO2. separation in distinct interstellar environments, our
As water ice is the main component of interstellar and experiments suggest that the astronomically observed
cometary ices, Zheng et al. (2006a, b) investigated the differentiation could result from distinct compositions
formation of new molecules and of transient species of the processed icy grains. Considering the mechanism,
(atoms, radicals) in pure water ices over a wide both of the H-bearing precursor molecules, methane and
temperature range from 10 K to the sublimation of methanol, undergo unimolecular decomposition to form
water. Mass spectrometer and FTIR data suggest the a radical R plus a hydrogen atom. The latter has excess
formation of H (OH as a by product), O, O2, and H2O2. kinetic energy and therefore must be classified as
HO2 radical and ozone (O3) were not detected. The suprathermal H. These species can add to triple and
absolute production rates decreased as the temperature double bonds of molecules forming the HCO and
increased from 10 to 110 K. Also, a quantitative study of HOCO radicals (R0 ), respectively. If the radical R and
D2-water indicated that the production rates of the oxygen-bearing radical R0 are formed in neighboring
molecular deuterium, O2 and D-hydrogen peroxide sites and if they hold the correct orientation geometry,
were systematically higher in amorphous ices than in they may recombine to form the observed C2H4O2
crystalline ices (Zheng et al., 2007a, b). isomers. Otherwise, they sit isolated in the ice samples.
A quantitative analysis of these data suggests that This reaction sequence of (1) unimolecular decomposi-
water can undergo unimolecular decomposition via tion forming a suprathermal H atom, (2) addition of the
reactions (1) and (2), thus forming atomic H plus the suprathermal H atom to a double or triple bond, and (3)
OH radical and electronically excited O atoms plus H2, a radical–radical recombination could represent a
respectively. The H atoms can recombine to generate H2 versatile reaction sequence to form astrobiologically
ARTICLE IN PRESS
important molecules in extraterrestrial ices. Note that very low and heavy molecular species are largely frozen
this sequence has also been observed in the formation of out onto dust grains. As midplane temperatures
acetaldehyde and glycine together with its isomer increase, volatiles sublimate at different radial distances
(Holtom et al., 2005) in electron-irradiated interstellar depending on their sublimation temperature.
analog ices. At temperatures below 180 K water is a stable solid.
These model ices contain only non-polar molecules. The so-called ‘‘snow line’’ beyond which water freezes
Therefore, these simulation experiments may mimic out was likely near 3–5 AU in the Solar nebula (Boss,
efficiently the chemical processing of non-polar astro- 1998), and it would have moved inward with time. As
physical ices. However, polar, water-rich ices exist in the the nebula collapsed, the original icy mantles on
ISM too; they dictate as well the icy composition of interstellar grains were likely not preserved. The grains
comets. Since the irradiation of pure water ices verified were probably heated as they fell into denser parts of the
the formation of reactive atoms (H, O) and radicals nebula toward the midplane, and the ices sublimated.
(OH), it is likely that the admixture of water to the ices These volatiles would later have recondensed onto other
changes the production routes and yields. For instance, grains (Lunine et al., 1991). These icy grains strongly
the reaction intermediates to form the C2H4O2 isomers influenced the temperature structure of the disk because
are radicals. Here, H generated from the radiolysis of they influence the mean disk opacity. Likewise, freeze-
water can add to these radicals and form closed-shell out of icy grains in the disk can influence the transport
molecules. Consequently, the radicals are no longer of energy, mass, and angular momentum in the disk
available for radical–radical recombination to synthe- (Pollack et al., 1994; Ciesla and Cuzzi, 2006). Disk
size the C2H4O2 isomers. This will certainly reduce the surface processes probably dominate the chemistry that
yield; a ‘‘dilution’’ of the radical reaction centers by can be observed, but it is not certain how much this
the water molecules may amplify this scenario. On the chemistry interacts with that in the disk midplane. It is
other hand, the suprathermal H atoms generated in clear that at the low midplane temperatures D/H
the unimolecular dissociation of water can also add to fractionation will proceed via ion–molecule reactions,
the CO and CO2 molecules forming HCO and HOCO, and the D enrichment will propagate to other species
respectively. Logically, this would actually enhance the such as water. It is expected that within the disk there
formation of radicals crucial to the synthesis of will be a strong variation of D/H with temperature, i.e.,
CH3COOH, HCOOCH3, and HCOCH2OH. In sum- with radial distance and height in the disk. Gas-phase
mary, the addition of water and the simulation of water- reactions can be important too; for molecules of lower
rich and polar astrophysically relevant ices is a volatility such as water, however, gas-phase interaction
complicated task. Experiments are currently underway is less likely in the cold outer nebula (Bergin et al., 2007).
to investigate these mixtures. Until disk chemistry is fully understood, it is dangerous
to make direct connections between the state of
precursor interstellar materials and the remnants of
Solar System formation we see today in the small Solar
3. Water in the Solar System System bodies.
Dynamical models of small body evolution and
3.1. Where did it come from? accretion and growth of planetesimals are refining
understanding of the early Solar System. Weidenschil-
Water in the ISM was present in the natal cloud that ling (1997) has shown that planetesimals grow by
was the birthplace of our Solar System. It played a key collisional coagulation until they are big enough to
role in the evolution of the cloud as it collapsed to form decouple from the turbulence between the particle layer
the protoplanetary disk out of which the planets grew. and the gas. This decoupling occurs when planetesimals
Until recently, models of the formation of the Solar are 10–100’s of meters in size. Depending on the
System could be constrained only by the chemistry of timescales of formation, there could have been signifi-
remnant small bodies such as comets and asteroids. A cant radial mixing, bringing planetesimals of different
new era dawned as we began to observe molecular lines chemistries together in the same bodies. Dust grains can
directly on disk surfaces at sub-millimeter wavelengths, also undergo substantial radial mixing in the proto-
providing new insight into disk chemistry. As a planetary disk due to turbulence, gas drag and viscous
protoplanetary disk collapses it has a flared structure, evolution (Ciesla, 2007). Dynamical and chemical
increasing in thickness with distance from the forming evidence suggests that comets had source regions in
star. Chemically, the disk is vertically stratified into a the low-temperature regions of the outer Solar System,
photon-dominated surface layer, a warm molecular forming in the giant-planet region out to the Kuiper
layer, and a midplane freeze-out layer which disappears belt (Mumma et al., 2002, Bockelee-Morvan et al.,
as temperature increases radially inward (Bergin et al., 2004). Comets can get perturbed inward from the Oort
2007). For most of the disk midplane, temperatures are cloud by stellar encounters and the galactic tidal field
ARTICLE IN PRESS
(and molecular clouds) and inward from the Kuiper which will eventually be visible as comets). Over 1200 of
belt region by perturbations from the giant planets, these objects have been discovered to date. They exhibit
especially Neptune. a wide diversity in colors and surface composition, with
some showing diagnostic spectral bands of water ice,
methane, and nitrogen, and others showing no absorp-
3.2. Observable water in the solar system tion features. The large range of apparent surface
compositions may reflect heterogeneity in the bulk
Water is the most abundant condensable volatile starting compositions, or different surface evolutionary
molecule in the Solar System. Water ice is found in a processes. The reflectance properties of a surface that is
wide range of small Solar System bodies from the main composed of an intimate mixture of dark and light,
asteroid belt outward and there is mineralogical high-albedo material will be dominated by the spectral
evidence for significant aqueous alteration within properties of the dark material (Hapke, 1981). Whatever
asteroids of the main belt. Astronomically, water and the explanation for the diversity, it is clear that water is a
hydrated minerals are primarily detected through major component of surfaces in the outer Solar System.
absorption bands in the near-infrared at 1.5, 2.0, and For a long time, the water-rich nuclei of comets were
3.0 mm. This latter band is difficult to observe from the suspected as major carriers of water to the terrestrial
ground because of strong absorption in the terrestrial planets. Measurements of the D/H ratio in comets P/
atmosphere. Halley, C/Hyakutake and C/Hale-Bopp have indicated
Chondritic meteorites (chondrites) are fragments of a problem with the simplest version of this idea,
mineralogically and chemically diverse asteroids that however. The D/H ratio in these comets averages
formed at 2–3 AU from the Sun concurrently with (and 310 106, which is twice the value for Earth’s oceans
even after the early stages of) the accretion of the planets of 156 106 (Table 1). The three measured comets are
in the inner Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Earth, from dynamical classes thought to derive from the Oort
Mars). Asteroids, like planets, formed by aggregation of Cloud, and to have originated in the middle Solar
solids and gas from the protoSolar disk. Remote sensing System. The comets in the Kuiper Belt (so-called short-
of asteroids and laboratory studies of chondrites show period, Jupiter-family comets) remain unmeasured.
that asteroids at 2 AU largely consist of anhydrous Other possible problems with a cometary source for
silicates, metal, and sulfides, whereas at distances the bulk of Earth’s water are that they may introduce
43 AU most asteroids are composed of hydrated too much of the noble gases and their collision
silicates such as clay minerals, organic matter, carbo- probabilities are too low, one in a million for a typical
nates, sulfates, magnetite, and other iron oxides. Some comet during its dynamical lifetime (Levison et al.,
of the hydration could have occurred by gas-phase 2001).
reactions, but most is attributed to alteration by liquid Water was first measured in comets in the 1970s from
water inside the parent asteroids (McSween, 1979; observations of H and OH. It was directly measured for
Zolensky et al., 1989; Brearley, 2004). Chondrites are the first time in comet Halley, from the Kuiper Airborne
not particularly good analogs for the building blocks of observatory and from space (Mumma et al., 1986;
the Earth since no combination of known chondrites Combes et al., 1988). The presence of water is also
can reproduce Earth’s chemical and isotopic makeup inferred when small bodies such as comets approach the
(Burbine and O’Brien, 2004). Sun closely enough that water ice sublimates and
To date more than 160 natural satellites have been becomes detectable. Understanding how water is ob-
discovered orbiting planets in our Solar System. These served is key to understanding its distribution and state
moons represent a wide diversity of physical and within our Solar System.
chemical compositions, ranging from planetary-sized A new class of objects has recently been discovered in
bodies with complex thermal histories and geological the main asteroid belt: the Main Belt Comets (Hsieh and
activity to mere collisional debris. The compositions of Jewitt, 2006). To date, three objects have been found
the satellites have been constrained by remote sensing that exhibit cometary activity in the main belt. They
(visible and near-infrared imaging reflectance spectro- have colors and sizes typical of comet nuclei, but their
scopy) and thermal and radar measurements. The activity levels are quite low compared to active comets.
surfaces of the outer Solar System satellites are rich in Nevertheless, activity persists for months and is correla-
ices, combined with refractory materials and a rich suite ted with perihelion passage, and so is consistent with
of organic materials. dust ejection from the surface driven by water-ice
Beyond the realm of the gas-giant planets, asteroids, sublimation (Hsieh, 2007). Thermal models show that
and satellites, the outer Solar System is populated by the it is possible for high-porosity, low-density comet nuclei
Trans-Neptunian Objects and their subclass, the Cen- to preserve ice over the age of the Solar System, but only
taurs (which are TNOs that are evolving dynamically if the ice is buried beneath the surface. These objects
inward, crossing the orbits of the giant planets, and occupy orbits in the main belt that are indistinguishable
ARTICLE IN PRESS
from those of the asteroids. Dynamical simulations water over a range of distances from the Sun. The
suggest that they are not comets that have been captured primary driver for comet activity close to the Sun is
from farther out in the Solar System (Fernandez et al., water sublimation (T180 K). Early models attempting
2002), but are more likely icy bodies that have been to explain the presence of highly volatile compounds
stored at their present location over the age of the Solar with orders of magnitude differences in vapor pressure
System. Statistics suggest there could be thousands of appearing nearly simultaneously in the cometary comae
Main Belt Comets within the asteroid belt. As such they invoked the idea that these compounds were trapped as
represent a new reservoir of icy planetesimals that could clathrate hydrates. Clathrate formation in impure ices is
have delivered water to the primordial Earth. unlikely; laboratory experiments demonstrate that
Two recent space missions to comets provided clathrate formation for many species is impossible at
interesting insights into the water story. The Stardust low temperature and pressure, and their presence is not
mission flew through the dust/gas cloud (coma) of comet necessary to explain the presence of species other than
81P/Wild 2, a typical Jupiter-family comet, and returned water (Jenniskens and Blake, 1996).
to Earth with samples of comet dust. In 2005, the Deep
Impact mission flew two spacecraft to comet 9P/Tempel
1 and impacted the comet at 10.3 km/s, excavating dust 4. Water on earth
and volatiles that were observed from space (A’Hearn
et al., 2005) and observatories on Earth (Meech et al., The problem of the origin of H2O on Earth and its
2005). Both missions returned significant results that distribution and history has remained one of the most
bear on cometary composition, origin, and their intractable problems in geochemistry, because it is
relevance for water delivery to Earth. Of particular inextricably bound to three equally difficult problems:
interest is that the dust from both missions showed the origin of the Earth; its chemical differentiation into
strong evidence that it had been thoroughly mixed in the core, mantle, and crust; and the heterogeneity of its
proto-Solar nebula prior to its incorporation into the mantle (Martin et al., 2006).
comets (Lisse et al., 2006; Brownlee et al., 2006; The pioneering calculations of Safranov (1969) and
Zolensky et al., 2006). Remote spectra and laboratory Wetherill (1985) on orbital evolution and the dynamics
analysis of the grains show that they consist of a mixture of planetary accretion first showed that planets such as
of materials, including high-temperature refractory, Earth were probably assembled stepwise. Rather than
aqueous processed, and low-temperature material. Most growing by gradual accretion of small fragments to a
of the cometary material had been widely circulated and much larger body, it is now thought that the final
processed in the nebula. This suggests that interpreting assembly of Earth and Venus took place catastrophi-
the role of comets in the delivery of water to Earth based cally, by sequential collision of a few dozen Moon- to
on their isotopic signatures is premature: there is a Mars-sized planetary embryos (Canup and Righter,
complex history of formation conditions and dynamical 2000; Chambers, 2004) which themselves had assembled
and physical evolution that needs to be understood first. by runaway growth within only a million years after the
Of the handful of comets for which we have detailed in- Solar nebula began to condense (Yang et al., 2007),
situ chemical and physical information, each one so far 4.567 billion years ago (Ga) (Amelin et al., 2002). Earth
is completely different. was assembled in this violent fashion over a period
Water ice that formed under conditions of low- probably no longer than 30–50 Myr following the onset
pressure vapor deposition expected in the Solar nebula of nebular condensation, based on Hf-W isotopic
can condense into four different forms: two crystalline evidence that Earth’s core had formed by this time
polymorphic forms and a low- and high-density (Schoenberg et al., 2002; Yin et al., 2002; Kleine et al.,
amorphous form. When water ice condenses at tem- 2002; Jacobsen, 2005, Halliday and Kleine, 2006;
peratures below 100 K it condenses in the amorphous Halliday, 2006). The final episode in core formation is
form because it lacks the energy to form a regular believed to be the giant impact that formed the Moon,
crystalline structure. During condensation in the amor- by which Earth gained the last 10% of its mass in
phous form it can trap gases in concentrations as high as collision with a Mars-sized body that has been named
3.3–3.5 times the amount of the ice. The amount of Theia (Canup and Asphaug, 2001; Canup, 2004; Kleine
trapped gas is extremely sensitive to the temperature of et al., 2005).
condensation. When amorphous water-ice is heated, This new scenario has important implications for the
small amounts of trapped gases are released between 35 origin and history of H2O on Earth because (1)
and 120 K in response to restructuring of the ices in a modeling indicates that embryos that collided to form
process called annealing (Bar-Nun and Laufer, 2003). Earth could have come from considerable radial
Beginning near 90 K, gases are released as the ice distances within the inner Solar System and thus may
undergoes an exothermic amorphous-to-crystalline have contained widely variable amounts of water and
phase transition. Thus, gases will be released from other volatiles (Morbidelli et al., 2000; Raymond et al.,
ARTICLE IN PRESS
2004); (2) the energy released on impact of these sizeable are lost to space, dragging minor gases with them, and
embryos would have shattered and probably vaporized Jeans escape, in which only the lightest, highest-velocity
them, releasing their volatiles instantaneously by impact molecules are lost. Water was also incorporated into the
degassing (Lange and Ahrens, 1982); (3) impacts as large forming planet, by dissolution into a magma ocean,
as that which formed the Moon would have melted burial, and ultimately subduction. Water was mixed into
much of Earth, forming a deep magma ocean in which the mantle and crust and then recycled by plate tectonics
vaporized volatiles could have dissolved; and (4) such and outgassed by volcanism. Each of these mechanisms
large impacts would have blasted into space a sub- brought in and processed C, N, and noble gases as well
stantial fraction of Earth’s then complement of volatiles, as water. A satisfactory model for the origin of Earth’s
including H2O (Genda and Abe, 2005). The result is that oceans and atmosphere would produce the proper
both Earth’s initial volatile content and the amount it proportions of the various volatile species and explain
retained become highly uncertain and subject to the their distribution among the core, mantle, crust, atmo-
vagaries of the accretion process. The history of water sphere, and oceans.
on Earth also switches from the traditional tale of Numerical models that replicate planetary accretion
outgassing of volatiles from Earth’s interior over time in the inner Solar System (Morbidelli et al., 2000;
via volcanism, to one dominated by ingassing of H2O Chambers, 2004; Raymond et al., 2004), from Mercury
and possibly other volatiles that were originally depos- at 0.4 AU to Mars at 1.5 AU, have four results in
ited mainly at Earth’s surface (Kasting and Catling, common that are highly significant for Earth’s chemical
2003). Ingassing of water ultimately lubricated Earth’s composition: (1) about half the mass of Earth-sized
mantle sufficiently that, even after it had solidified, it planets that form near Earth’s location at 1 AU accretes
could continue to cool by convection, thus producing from planetesimals and planetary embryos that formed
plate tectonics. Melting of a wet mantle also produced locally; (2) the other half accumulates from embryos
continental crust, creating land that would rise above scattered from more distant regions, both closer to the
the oceans where life would originate. Sun and farther away, from 0.4 to 5 AU (Jupiter is
Earth’s hydrosphere is estimated to contain now at 5.2 AU), and including the asteroid belt, mainly
1.6 1021 kg H2O, and its exosphere, which includes between 1.9 and 3.2 AU; (3) the embryos from farther
the crust, 1.9 1021 kg H2O (Table 3). Whether this away, including the presumably wetter ones from the
represents most of the H2O (or more correctly H) on the outer asteroid belt, tend to arrive later, during accretion
planet or only a small fraction is uncertain, as the of the second half of the planetary mass; and (4) final
amount in the mantle and especially the core is poorly assembly of the terrestrial planets from planetary
known. Current estimates range from 0.1 to 1.5 embryos takes 10–100 Myr, the same duration indicated
additional hydrospheres in the mantle and up to 100 for Earth’s formation from the Hf-W isotopic data.
in the core, although actual amounts in the core could Accretion of Earth mainly from locally condensed and
be much smaller than this, even zero (Williams and accreted materials is consistent with the conclusion that
Hemley, 2001; Hirschmann, 2006). As with other highly its composition, including its major as well as its trace
volatile species in Earth’s exosphere including C, N, and elements and isotopes, is significantly different from that
the noble gases, the wide range in the estimates results of the Sun and every known class of meteorite, or any
from our imperfect understanding of how Earth other extraterrestrial material. As noted by Drake and
acquired its volatiles and what happened to them Righter (2002) and Righter et al. (2006), the building
subsequently. blocks of Earth are at present unsampled. Presumably,
the unique material that condensed and accreted near
1 AU, in Earth’s ‘‘feeding zone’’, was all swept up into
4.1. How earth got its water the growing Earth, whereas the vast majority of
meteorite parent bodies (except perhaps those of iron
There are several mechanisms by which Earth could meteorites) accreted farther from the Sun, in the asteroid
have acquired its water, and it seems likely that all of belt, and so acquired a different bulk composition from
them have contributed to some extent: (1) accretion of Earth.
water as a component of the planetary embryos that
accreted to form Earth (‘‘wet’’ accretion); (2) acquisition 4.1.1. ‘‘Wet’’ vs. ‘‘dry’’ accretion
of H and water directly from the Solar nebula, by Earth, like all known Solar System materials, is
adsorption onto accreting materials and by dissolution depleted in volatile elements relative to the Sun. The
into a magma ocean; and (3) late impact of especially cause of this depletion, by partial condensation or
wet bodies such as carbonaceous chondrites and comets. partial evaporation, is still debated (Davis, 2006), but
Once water reached Earth it was susceptible to loss by the observation that all known materials are depleted
physically induced impact erosion and thermally in- implies that depletion occurred early and throughout the
duced hydrodynamic escape, in which the major gases inner Solar System (Palme and Jones, 2004; Palme and
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Table 3. Mass of water on Earth and relevant deuterium contents
Mass of H2O H2O wt% or As ppm H in dD (%) dD D/H Ref.

(1018 kg) ppm BSEa VSMOW 7(%) (106)
Oceans 1371.3 38 0 156 1

Marine sediment porewater 180 5 1 156 2
Marine basement formation 26 0.7 1 156 3
water
Ice 27.8 0.8 350 50 101 1
Continental groundwater 15.3 0.4 10 154 4
Lakes, rivers, soils 0.192 0.01 10 154 4
Total hydrosphere 1621 44 6 155
wt%
Shales 221 15 6 80 20 143 5
Continental carbonates 2.56 1 0.1 60 20 146 5
Evaporites 0.42 1 0.01 5 15 155 5
Marine clays 7.56 15 0.2 50 20 148 5
Marine carbonates 0.504 1 0.01 30 10 151 5
Total sedimentary rocks 232 6 79 20 144 5
Organic matter 1.36 85 0.04 100 30 140 5
Continental metamorphic 36 1.5 1.0 80 20 143 5
rocks
Oceanic (igneous) crust 41 0.7 1.1 6
Total exosphere 1931 53 17 153 2
Mantle
Serpentinite in oceanic
lithosphere
Low estimate 11 0.3 7
High estimate 27 0.7 2
Upper mantle ppm
To 410 km 74 120 2 2
410–670 km (low est) 56 120 2 2
410–670 km (high est) 930 2000 26 2
Lower mantle
Low estimate 59 20 2 8
LM except D00 56 20 2 8
D00 only (H2O rich) 83 500 2 2
LM+D00 (H2O rich) 140 20, 500 4 2
(mid-est)
High estimate 1470 500 40 2
Total mantle
Low estimate 200 5 2
Mid estimate 280 8 2
High estimate 2500 69 2
Bulk silicate Earth:
Total Earth (except core) ppm H2O ppm H
Low estimate 2130 526 58 2
Mid estimate 2210 546 61 2
High estimate 4430 1095 122 2
High est. of Lecuyer et al. 5000 1236 137 5
(1998)
a
BSE ¼ Bulk Silicate Earth. Estimate for serpentinite in the oceanic lithosphere includes slow-spreading ridges, outer forearc highs, and subducted
slabs. Mid-estimates use low estimate for upper mantle and assume 500 ppm H2O in 200-km thick D00 layer and 20 ppm elsewhere in lower mantle.
Refs.: (1) Hay et al. (2006), (2) this paper, (3) Johnson and Pruis (2003), (4) Berner and Berner (1996), (5) Lecuyer et al. (1998), (6) Rupke et al.
(2004), (7) Lee and Chen (2007), (8) Hirschmann (2006).
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O’Neill, 2005). Early depletion of the moderately condense. As a star forms it first attracts this gas, and
volatile element Mn is likewise indicated by Mn–Cr then drives away the remnant by intense T-Tauri stage
isotope systematics in the inner Solar System (Lugmair ultraviolet luminosity and extreme winds. At the same
and Shukolyukov, 1998). As the most volatile elements time gravitational infall of gas from farther out can be
are the most depleted, Earth is most deficient in He, Ne, intercepted by accretion onto giant planets such as
Ar, Xe, Kr, H, N, and C, in that order. Earth is depleted Jupiter, which would have prevented it from reaching
to a lesser extent in all other volatile elements, from B the inner Solar System once these giant planets began to
and O through Pb and Bi. For 28 of 30 refractory form (Kallenbach et al., 2003; Montmerle et al., 2006a).
lithophile elements, by contrast (the exceptions are V Observations of young stars in star-forming regions of
and Nb, which have presumably partitioned somewhat the galaxy indicate that dust is removed within a few
into Earth’s core, along with the refractory siderophile million years, and presumably gas along with it,
elements), Earth has elemental ratios nearly identical to although this is much more difficult to observe
those of chondritic meteorites; likewise, the ratios of (Hartmann, 2000). Disk lifetimes are typically
these 30 elements are similar in all classes of chondritic 3–5 Myr, although in rare cases they can survive for
meteorites, within p5%. Among the meteorite classes, 10 Myr (Russell et al., 2006). Dissipation of the Solar
Earth most closely resembles the carbonaceous (C-) nebula within 3–5 Myr is consistent with the duration of
chondrites, especially in its major-element composition. chondrule formation in meteorites (Bizarro et al., 2004;
Allegre et al. (2001) showed that Earth most closely Russell et al., 2006). Mars probably formed and
resembles CI-chondrites in its Fe content and refractory differentiated its core within the first million years
element composition, and CM-chondrites in its moder- (Halliday and Kleine, 2006) (although Foley et al. (2005)
ately refractory elements. For the volatile elements, estimate 12 Myr). Given that planetary embryos should
however, including the alkalis and halogens, Earth is form faster closer to the Sun (Kokubo and Ida, 2002), it
more depleted than the CV-chondrites, the most is highly likely that Earth achieved the 10% of its final
depleted class of C-chondrites. The highly volatile mass necessary to gravitationally capture nebular gases
elements follow this pattern as well. According to our well within the lifetime of the Solar nebula. A primary
best estimate of Earth’s water content (Table 3), Earth atmosphere for early Earth derived directly from the
contains 60–120 ppm H, or 0.05–0.11 wt% H2O, Solar nebula then becomes inevitable (Harper and
when all water in the hydrosphere, crust, and mantle is Jacobsen, 1996). The blanketing effect of this early
divided into the mass of the Bulk Silicate Earth atmosphere would have raised the surface temperature
(BSE ¼ mantle+crust) of 4.05 1027 g. This is 5–50 enough to melt the planetary surface, and to keep it
times less than the two driest classes of C-chondrite, the molten had it already melted from the energy of large
CV’s (2.5 wt% H2O) and CO’s (0.63 wt%) (Wasson and impacts (Sasaki, 1999).
Kallemeyn, 1988). Earth is even more depleted in C Isotopic evidence for a Solar component in Earth’s
( 50) and N ( 70) relative to these meteorite classes mantle is now unequivocal. On Earth, 3He is a
than it is in H2O. Thus, even though Earth is often primordial isotope whereas 4He is radiogenic, mainly
considered to have accreted ‘‘dry’’ such that the oceans from decay of U and Th. A component that feeds
could not have originated as part of the main accretion mantle plumes beneath oceanic islands is characterized
process, Earth is in fact quite dry even with its by 3He/4He ratios 40 that in the atmosphere,
oceans, and it is conceivable that enough water was compared with the shallow (upper mantle) source of
delivered by materials from Earth’s local feeding zone mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) of 8 atmospheric
near 1 AU to provide Earth with its trace amount of (Graham, 2002; Hilton and Porcelli, 2005). The Solar
water. This prospect has been explored by Drake (2005), nebular ratio, as measured in Jupiter’s atmosphere, is
who concluded that enough water could have been 120 that in Earth’s atmosphere, and the present-day
adsorbed onto grains from Solar nebular gas to supply Solar wind is 330 atmospheric, higher now than the
up to three oceans to the growing Earth. As he noted, ancient nebular value preserved on Jupiter because 3He
however, such minimal supply does not provide much is continuously produced in the Sun by deuterium
excess to allow for later losses during planetesimal burning. As He is too light to be retained by Earth at its
formation and differentiation or as a result of giant present mass, and so is continually lost to space by Jeans
impacts. escape, it is significant that a reservoir of 3He still resides
within Earth’s interior, stored there since Earth’s
4.1.2. Ingassing from the solar nebula formation. There are two such reservoirs, moreover,
Solar nebular gas, comprising mainly H2, He, H2O, one (the plume source) more primitive than the other
and CO, originally represented 499% of the mass of the (the MORB source).
Solar nebula. This gas would have been abundantly This same plume source that forms oceanic island
available to supply volatiles to the growing Earth only basalts (OIB) has Solar Ne isotopic ratios for both
20
for the first few million years after the nebula began to Ne/22Ne and 21Ne/22Ne (Honda et al., 1993). Solar Ne
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is evident in both MORB and OIB, but it is found in its mass fast enough to acquire a thick-enough Solar
purest form only in OIB, as the MORB source in Earth’s nebular atmosphere is thus possible, but not inevitable.
upper mantle has higher 21Ne/22Ne from production Neon isotopically similar to that in the MORB (upper
of nucleogenic 21Ne (along with 4He) by U and Th mantle) source has also been found in continental well
decay via the ‘‘Wetherill reactions’’, mainly 18O+a ¼ gases of magmatic origin in New Mexico and South
21
Ne+n. The highest 20Ne/22Ne ratio measured in OIB Australia. It closely resembles the Ne–B component in
from Iceland (13.3; Dixon et al., 2000; Moreira et al., meteorites. Ballentine et al. (2005) argue that this Ne is
2001) and from a Devonian carbonatite in an ancient characteristic of Earth’s ‘‘convecting mantle’’ (as op-
plume setting on the Kola Peninsula, Russia (X13.0; posed to the OIB/plume source) and that it was supplied
Yokochi and Marty, 2004, 2005) is nearly as high as mainly by the Solar wind impacting on planetesimals.
the Solar value of 13.8, and is significantly higher than There seems no doubt that Solar Ne was supplied to
that of (1) meteoritic Ne–B of 12.5, a mixture of Earth both directly from nebular gases and indirectly by
Ne from the Solar wind (13.8) and Solar energetic the Solar wind. Whereas well-gas Ne resembles MORB
particles (11.2); (2) the meteoritic Q-component of 11.7, Ne, however, the Xe in the two sample types is
the most abundant component in meteorites; (3) Ne in isotopically distinct, in a manner that bears significantly
CI-chondrites, the class closest to Solar in its elemental on the origin of Earth’s water, as discussed below.
abundances, of 8.9; and (4) Earth’s atmospheric Ne of As nebular gas was mainly H2, He, H2O, and CO, it
9.8 (Podosek, 2004). Ne in Earth’s air can thus be would have created appropriately reducing conditions
interpreted as either meteoritic in origin, or Solar but for Fe metal to segregate into Earth’s core. Prior to
highly fractionated, with preferential loss of the light dissipation of the nebula, the nearly infinite supply of H2
isotope 20Ne, in contrast with Ne in Earth’s mantle, would have dominated, possibly reducing some of the
which is clearly Solar in origin. The large isotopic FeO component in the silicate melt to Fe and creating
difference between air Ne and mantle Ne indicates that even more water via the reaction FeOsil+H2 ¼ Fe+
Earth must have outgassed its Ne early, and that the Ne H2O. After the nebula had dissipated, the mass of Earth
contribution from the mantle has been insignificant would dominate, and as Fe continued to sink to the core
since then. This is not unlikely considering that at least the mantle would become more oxidized. Hydrogen
75% and more likely 99% of Earth’s Ne is presently in would dissolve readily into molten Fe at high pressure
the atmosphere. The Solar Ne in Earth’s mantle is a (Abe et al., 2000). If this scenario is correct, then Earth
small remnant that records an important early episode should contain substantial H in its core, estimated at up
in the history of Earth’s volatiles, but is volumetrically to 100 oceans worth (Williams and Hemley, 2001;
insignificant compared with the much more abundant Porcelli and Halliday, 2001). The identity of the light
and very different Ne in the atmosphere. element(s) in the inner and outer core, required to
Given the evidence for massive (499%) loss of explain their density, is a major unsolved problem
Earth’s early atmosphere, discussed below, it is unlikely (McDonough, 2005; Asahara et al., 2007; Badro et al.,
that the Solar noble gases in the OIB (plume) source 2007; Corgne et al., 2007). Besides H, the leading
could have been delivered to Earth in sufficient candidates are O, Si, S, and C. Equally significant is the
quantities by the Solar wind, either directly or by nature of the 200-km thick layer that surrounds the core
implantation onto accreting planetesimals. Nor does the known as the D00 layer (Boyet and Carlson, 2005;
elemental abundance pattern of the noble gases in the Brandon and Walker, 2005; Tolstikhin and Hofmann,
mantle match that implanted in meteorites by the Solar 2005; Murakami et al., 2007).
wind (Harper and Jacobsen, 1996). In particular, the
3
He/22Ne ratio of 7.7 is much higher than the Solar 4.1.3. Late impact of wet planetesimals or comets
value of 1.9 (Honda and Macdougall, 1998). Whereas As noted, Earth was more likely to accrete planetary
grains should absorb relatively more Ne than He, the embryos from farther away during the second half its
solubility of He in a silicate melt is much greater than accretion, including 10–25% from beyond 1.5 AU and
that of Ne. Thus the only mechanism that seems capable some wetter ones from the outer asteroid belt at
of providing noble gases in the OIB source is dissolution 2.5–3.5 AU (Morbidelli et al., 2000; Chambers, 2004;
into a magma ocean. Sasaki (1999) estimated that Earth Raymond et al., 2004). As the various classes of C-
would have to acquire 40–60% of its final mass while chondrites contain between 0.6 and 19 wt% H2O
still immersed in Solar nebular gas, to produce an (Wasson and Kallemeyn, 1988), 5–400 times more
atmosphere thick enough to supply the necessary than the Bulk Silicate Earth (Table 3), a contribution of
amounts. For comparison, if the final episode of core only a few percent from C-chondrites could supply
formation resulted from a Moon-forming giant impact Earth’s water in excess. Comets, much more volatile-
at 30 Myr (Jacobsen, 2005), then Earth would likely rich than even C-chondrites, could also deliver abundant
already have gained nearly two-thirds of its mass by water, but they would deliver other volatiles abundantly
11 Myr (Yin et al., 2002). That Earth could have gained as well, in proportions very different from those on
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Earth, as discussed below. At present, accretion of a few the ratio of their much less abundant primordial
% C-chonditic material from the asteroid belt must be isotopes, 38Ar/36Ar, is indistinguishable from that of
considered the leading hypothesis for the origin of most air at 0.188. (This is true as well for all six Kr isotopes.)
of Earth’s water, as it would provide water in excess, at This value is nearly identical to that of C-chondrites at
a time after nebular gas had dissipated and much Fe and 0.189, but much higher than the Solar wind value of
H had already been sequestered into the core, so that 0.173. Thus, Ar in air, like Ne, is either meteoritic in
most H delivered to Earth’s surface would remain in its origin or Solar but highly fractionated, with preferential
oxidized form as H2O. Note that we are not referring to loss of the light isotope 36Ar. The latter explanation is
the so-called ‘‘late veneer’’, as this would have been far more likely.
added much later, after the core had fully formed, but More definitive evidence is provided by (1) the
20
rather to that part of Earth’s main accretionary stage Ne/36Ar ratio, which is 30 in the Sun but only 0.3
that took place after dissipation of the Solar nebula. in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars, and Venus; and (2)
Also note that no more than the necessary few percent the N/Ne ratio, which is 86,000 in Earth’s atmosphere
carbonaceous chondritic material can have accreted to and one in the Sun (Zahnle, 2006). Clearly Earth’s
Earth, because its O isotopic content is so different from atmosphere has suffered 499% loss of the lightest Ne
Earth’s (Drake and Righter, 2002). isotope. The apparent preferential loss of Ne (mass 20)
to N2 (mass 28) is so large that it probably also reflects
addition of N to Earth as a condensate, rather than by
4.2. Loss of Earth’s early atmosphere capture from the Solar nebula or implantation by the
Solar wind onto planetesimals (Owen et al., 2001).
There is no doubt that Earth suffered at least one and Details about loss of the early atmosphere are
probably several episodes of massive atmospheric loss provided by the nine Xe isotopes. Earth’s atmosphere
early in its history. Earth’s present component of is generally depleted relative to the Solar pattern by
volatiles is therefore the small remnant of what was 4.2% per amu, indicating preferential loss of the
once present. The early atmosphere could have been lighter isotopes (Pepin and Porcelli, 2002). Recent high-
eroded by intense UV radiation and winds during the resolution analyses of MORB and continental well gases
million-year-long T-Tauri phase of the young Sun as have revealed for the first time a clear Solar pattern in
well as by large impacts. UV radiation and winds would the mantle for the three lightest isotopes (124, 126, and
effect the lighter H atom most, but as the likely major 128) (Pepin and Porcelli, 2006). Both of these observa-
constituent of an early Solar nebular atmosphere, tions reinforce the conclusions for Ne and Ar. What Xe
produced in additional quantities by radiative splitting offers in addition is that, besides their primordial
of H2O (Zahnle, 2006), H streaming into space would component, 129Xe and the heavier isotopes (131, 132,
pull heavier atoms such as Ne and molecules such as N2 134, and 136) were produced early in Earth’s history by
with it, in the thermally induced process known as radioactive decay of, respectively, 129I (half-life
hydrodynamic escape. Like the more gradual Jeans 15.7 Myr), 244Pu (half-life 82 Myr, and 238U (half-life
escape, it would mass-fractionate both elements and 4450 Myr). The radioactive isotopes of I and Pu became
their isotopes, whereas mechanically induced atmo- extinct in our Solar System long ago, so the presence of
spheric blowoff by giant impacts would fractionate to their Xe daughter products in the atmosphere and in
a much lesser extent if at all. various mantle reservoirs records processes that oc-
We have already noted the large depletion of the light curred during Earth’s first few hundred million years.
isotopes 21Ne and especially 20Ne relative to 22Ne in Because there are three parent elements/isotopes with
Earth’s atmosphere, compared with Solar Ne and different half-lives, the absolute timing of atmospheric
mantle Ne. Isotopes of Ar show a similar pattern. degassing and loss events can be estimated, and their
Nearly all of the major Ar isotope on Earth, 40Ar, has relative timing even more accurately.
been produced by radioactive decay of 40K. From the Pepin and Porcelli (2006) found that the key ratio of
amount of K in Earth it can be inferred that about half the radiogenic daughter isotopes in the two decay
of the 40Ar produced is in the atmosphere (Palme and systems (129Xerad/136Xe244) is similar in air and in the
O’Neill, 2005); apparently the other half of the mantle MORB source but greatly different in the well gases,
has not degassed since the 40Ar was produced within it thus identifying two distinct mantle reservoirs (although
(Morgan, 1998). The 40Ar/36Ar ratio in air is 296, but these two reservoirs have similar Ne isotopic ratios,
mantle ratios are much heavier: 12,000 in the OIB according to Ballentine et al. (2005), who referred to
source and 30,000 in the MORB source (and 40,000 them as ‘‘convecting mantle’’, as noted above). Yokochi
in the crust), compared with an initial Solar ratio of and Marty (2005) identified a third distinct reservoir in
0.001–0.0001. Like Ne, mantle Ar is very different from the Kola carbonatite complex, representing the OIB/
atmospheric Ar. All mantle samples measured to date, plume source, already distinguished from the MORB
however, are sufficiently contaminated with air such that source by the isotopes of He, Ne, and Ar. Assuming that
ARTICLE IN PRESS
iodine has not been heavily fractionated (an assumption of noble gases in comets is inferred to be so much higher
that is likely but not yet certain), Pepin and Porcelli relative to H that if they were to deliver most of Earth’s
(2006) showed that the difference in 129Xerad/136Xe244 water the excesses of noble gases would be measured in
between MORB and the well gases requires two orders of magnitude (Swindle and Kring, 1997; Owen
degassing events separated by 50–75 Myr. The sub- and Bar-Nun, 2000; Drake and Righter, 2002) (unless,
continental ‘‘convecting mantle’’ reservoir tapped by the again, the comets formed in the Jupiter–Saturn region).
well gases suffered massive Xe loss at 35713 Myr, Whether this difference can be accommodated by the
followed by a similar degassing event for the MORB large losses of atmosphere discussed above is not clear.
(shallow mantle) source and the atmosphere at Much has been written about the possibility of a ‘‘late
95–100 Myr. The former event likely tapped the mantle veneer’’ delivering volatiles to Earth, along with the so-
to greater depth (Boyet and Carlson, 2005) and may well called ‘‘excess siderophile elements’’. We have not
be the Moon-forming impact that largely completed discussed this issue because we concur with Dauphas
accretion of the Earth. The latter event may have been et al. (2000) and Drake and Righter (2002) that most of
the first of several smaller impacts that were still large Earth’s water was already present by the time any late
enough to degas part of the mantle and blow off much veneer was delivered. Levison et al. (2001) furthermore
of Earth’s atmosphere: Yokochi and Marty (2005) showed on dynamical grounds that it is nearly
showed that isotopic systematics of the Kola plume impossible to deliver an ocean of water to Earth after
source require extensive loss of Xe not only during the Moon-forming impact. In any case the isotopic
Earth’s first 100 Myr, but for several hundred Myr composition of Os in Earth’s mantle precludes C-
thereafter. Today, only 0.8% of the radiogenic 129Xe chondrites as the source of siderophile elements in a
produced over Earth history is still present in the late veneer; rather the much drier ordinary (H-)
atmosphere (Pepin and Porcelli, 2002). chondrites are indicated (Drake and Righter, 2002).
4.3. Meteorites vs. comets as a source for Earth’s 4.4. Implications for astrobiology
water There is much we do not yet understand about the
origin and early history of water on Earth. What is clear
Although both probably contributed, meteorites are a
is that water and other volatiles came from multiple
much more likely source of the bulk of Earth’s volatiles
sources by a variety of processes that were an integral
than comets for several reasons, both chemical and
part of formation of the Sun and the other planets.
dynamical. The D/H ratio of chondritic meteorites
Because of our imperfect understanding and the complex-
(Robert, 2003, 2006) is nearly identical to that of Earth
ity of the process, it is difficult to apply the insights from
at 150 106 (Table 1), whereas in the only three
our own planet to other stellar systems. Nonetheless, it is
comets measured it is twice as high at 310 106
encouraging that substantial water can be acquired by
(Eberhardt et al., 1995; Bockelee-Morvan et al., 1998;
Earth-like rocky planets from a variety of sources,
Meier et al., 1998) (Table 1). The measured comets all
including the stellar nebula, the planetesimals that accrete
originated in the Oort cloud, however, and rare comets
to form the planet itself, and the wetter asteroids and
originating in the Jupiter–Saturn region may have D/H
comets that are likely to occupy most protostellar disks
ratios more similar to that of Earth (Delsemme,
and to be added late in the accretionary process. With
1999a, b).
multiple opportunities to acquire water, wet planets like
The overall pattern of depletion relative to the Sun of
Earth are more likely to be common. It is encouraging as
the eight highly volatile elements is remarkably similar
well that, in the case of Earth, an ocean of water and an
in Earth and the C-chondrites (Dauphas and Marty,
atmosphere survived a truly catastrophic event such as
2002), where the order, from most depleted to least, is
the giant impact that formed the Moon, late during
He, Ne, Ar, Kr, XeH, N, and C. The only difference (a
accretion and almost certainly after the oceans and
big one) is that on Earth, Xe is more depleted than Kr
atmosphere were present. Conditions for formation and
(and H): the ‘‘missing Xe’’ problem. Dauphas and
survival of a habitable planet were clearly harsh at 1 AU
Marty (2002) suggested that comets have a different
in our Solar System, yet here we are: life originated and
pattern, based on experiments trapping gases in ice at
has thrived on our planet.
low temperatures (Owen and Bar-Nun, 1995, 2000;
Notesco et al., 2003; Bar-Nun and Laufer, 2003). The
order of depletion in comets relative to the Sun would be
He, H, Ar(?), Ne, Xe, KrN, C. Note that comets, like 5. Water and microbial life
Earth, are more depleted in Xe than Kr, and so
probably contributed to Earth’s volatiles (Owen and There is a commonality in the study of water’s
Bar-Nun, 2000; Dauphas, 2003). However, the content properties as a solvent that extends across the fields of
ARTICLE IN PRESS
astronomy, chemistry, geology, biology, and their and complex synergies between chemical and physical
intersection in astrobiology. We present here a brief reactions (Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2004). The
overview of some of the basic relationships between dipolar character of water makes it an ideal solvent
water and astrobiology. (See also Chyba and Hand, for dissolution of a variety of salts required for
2005.) Because there is little argument that the earliest metabolic reactions, and allows for hydrophobic organic
life on Earth was unicellular, microscopic, and anaero- molecules like lipids to make up cellular membranes.
bic, we focus on the relationship between water and that The persistence of hydrogen bonding in liquid water is
which was Earth’s first life, remains Earth’s dominant key to understanding the physical properties of water, as
form of life today, and is most likely to inhabit other well as its poorer solvent properties for non-polar,
worlds: microbes. hydrophobic solutes.
5.1. Water as a life support system 5.1.2. Chemistry of solutes

Fig. 3b depicts a hydrated sodium ion, representative
Water is an unusual liquid as a consequence of its of ion–dipole bonds between ions and water. Dissolu-
dipolar molecular character (Fig. 3a). Water has a high tion of NaCl in water leads to a hydrated sodium ion
boiling point, high heat of vaporization, and ice has a surrounded by six water molecules in octahedral
high melting point. Because the maximum density of positions. Farther away from the central cation,
water is at 4 1C it expands upon freezing, a most unusual additional water molecules are structured through
behavior for a liquid-to-solid-phase transition. For bio- dipole–dipole interactions. In a similar way, Cl(aq)
chemical reactions that depend on making and breaking ions also interact with the solvent water to form
of ionic and H bonds, one of the most important ion–dipole bonds, whereby orientation of the hydrogen
properties of water is its polarity, which makes it an side of H2O points toward the central anion.
excellent solvent for salts and polar molecules (Fig. 3b). The dissolution of polar molecules in water is likewise
favored by dipole–dipole interactions, while non-polar
5.1.1. Polarity as a key property of water molecules are less favored for dissolution because of the
It is difficult to imagine biochemical machinery that unfavorable energy requirements for breaking and re-
does not require water. The polarity of the water forming hydrogen-bonded water. Ion–dipole, dipole–di-
molecule (Fig. 3) enables many of its unusual properties, pole, and H-bonding all contribute stabilizing and
and ultimately dictates that the triple point of water, the destabilizing properties to water, regardless of the
point at which all three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) complexity of the molecules or ions, and therefore lay
coexist, is within a range of temperatures close to the the foundation for chemical speciation. Species of an
average temperature on Earth. Thus, water on Earth element are distinguishable from one another stoichio-
allows for a wide variety of climatic conditions, habitats, metrically, structurally, and energetically, and the
δ+
H δ+
H+
H
O
δ-
105° δ+
O= δ+
δ+ H
H+ H H
δ+ O δ-
0.96Å
H δ- O
δ- Na+ δ+
H H δ+
O
H
H O δ-
O O δ+
H
H
δ- δ+
H H O
2.76Å
H H
δ+ δ+
Fig. 3. (a) The structure of the angular water molecule and the hydrogen bond, illustrating the direction of the dipole moment,
which gives water its distinctive properties in the liquid state (Horne, 1969); (b) hydrated sodium ion, Na+, in aqueous solution.
H2O molecules form ion–dipole bonds to the central metal ion. The waters are in octahedral coordination to the sodium ion (Gray,
1973).
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Table 4. Summarized assessment of solvent candidates for selected planetary environments (from Schulze-Makuch and Irwin
2004)
Solvent Earth Icy satellite Gas giant Io (near subsurface) Titan surface Titan subsurface
H2O +4 +3 +1 +1 +1 0
NH3 1 +1 +2 0 0 +3
HCN +1 1 0 1 0 0
HF 2 1 0 2 3 0
H2 S 4 3 3 0 4 2
CH3OH +1 +1 0 0 +1 +2
CH3OH3 4 2 3 3 0 0
The metric is obtained by assigning +1 to four favorable characteristics (cosmic abundance, local abundance, enthalpy of vaporization, and dipole
moment); by assigning 1 to unfavorable instances of the same characteristics; and by assigning 0 to cases that fall between favorable and
unfavorable. Although largely speculative and crude, this estimate suggests that water is the best solvent on warmer bodies, while methanol may be
superior in colder environments.
notion of chemical speciation is central to equilibrium beneath the surface; (5) Titan’s surface is inhospitable
and kinetic aspects of aquatic chemistry. Aquatic for any other than organic solvents; while (6) the
chemical speciation is of paramount importance for subsurface of Titan could function with a combination
aquatic life. of organic solvents, ammonia, and water. While
alternate solvents for life are possible, much evidence
5.1.3. Alternate possibilities to water as a life solvent is in support of the concept that water is a requirement
Oxygen is the most abundant element on Earth, and for life. Furthermore, all known functional enzymes
hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe, seem to retain ‘internal’ water bound strongly inside
making it reasonable to assume that water should be their protein structure, even if hydration-shell water
commonly available as a solvent for life (Schulze- primarily serves to promote flexibility and could be
Makuch and Irwin, 2004). However, many of the replaced by other solvents (Ball, 2004). Accordingly, this
environmental conditions that persist on Earth are review focuses on water’s relationship with known life
relatively unique to Earth, and researchers have processes on Earth and implications for possible life
considered the notion that alternate solvents may play elsewhere.
a role as a life-supporting system elsewhere. For
instance, liquid ammonia has long been demonstrated
5.2. Emergence of life
to support construction of biomolecules (Chyba and
Hand, 2005). Ammonia, however, and other polar
The debate about when and how life originated is an
solvents besides water, are only stable liquids at one
old one that continues today (Line, 2002; Trevors and
atmosphere pressure at much colder temperatures.
Abel, 2004; Jortner, 2006). There is no evidence for life
Consequently, biochemistry based on liquid ammonia
on Earth before the end of the late heavy bombardment
at atmospheric pressures would proceed far more slowly
at 3.85 Ga, but no sediments that are older survive,
than terrestrial biochemistry because of the exponential
either. Favorable conditions may well have existed
dependence of reaction rates with temperature (Chyba
earlier and life may have begun, possibly even more
and Hand, 2005). However, biological catalysis of
than once, given that the Hadean aeon was character-
reactions substantially increases reaction rates, and at
ized by frequent (every few 106–107 years) large
extremely high pressures ammonia could remain in
meteorite impacts that would have heated surface
liquid state up to its critical temperature of 132 1C
environments to uninhabitable conditions (Nisbet and
(Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2004).
Fowler, 2003). The Archean aeon (4.0–2.5 Ga) was more
Schulze-Makuch and Irwin (2004) provide a concise
stable and apparently was extremely favorable for the
quantitative assessment of candidates for life-supporting
development and diversification of life (Martin et al.,
solvents (Table 4). They conclude that (1) water is the
2006).
best solvent for Earth; (2) water is also the best solvent,
perhaps in combination with ammonia and ethanol,
beneath the surface of the icy satellites; (3) the gas giant 5.2.1. Prebiotic chemistry
planets do not favor any particular solvent except Environmental conditions and the chemical reactions
possibly water and ammonia within a particular thermal that lead to emergence of life on Earth has been the
and pressure range; (4) the special circumstances of Io subject of much speculation. It is not possible at present
make it difficult for any solvent to function there, to date or even to identify the sequence of events that
though some combination of water and H2S might work first produced living cells (Pascal et al., 2006). Yet some
ARTICLE IN PRESS
active pre-biotic chemistry with an appropriate combi- geothermal processes. Energetically favorable redox
nation of characteristics led to chemicals with the reactions are the foundation for life on Earth under
capacity for storing, expressing, and transmitting genetic today’s oxic conditions. Anaerobic metabolisms that
information, which were then subjected to forces of persist in anoxic environments allow us to infer possible
natural selection. Pascal et al. (2006) and Jortner (2006) early-Earth metabolisms.
review some of the conditions necessary for the Whatever metabolism(s) is(are) favored by an ecosys-
emergence of life on Earth, including availability of (1) tem, there is a principle difference between availability
liquid water; (2) biotic raw materials including elements of compounds used for synthesizing biomass and those
(C, H, N, O, P, S, Fe, Mg, etc.), simple molecules (H2, required for energy conservation. While nutrient limita-
H2O, NH3, CO, CO2, H2S, CH4, etc.), and minerals tion induces a decrease in metabolic activity, the lack of
containing Si, Fe, Ni, P, and S; (3) clay minerals or other an energy substrate forces an organism to relocate or
suitable substrate; and (4) chemical and thermal switch to a different type of metabolism. It may even
conditions that permit energy acquisition and disposal cause a shift in the composition of a microbial
by functional biology, such as the conversion of light community (Brune et al., 2000). Through such mechan-
energy into chemical energy and/or the use of chemical isms both microbes and higher organisms create local
energy through donor-acceptor electron transfer. order by using Sunlight and/or geothermal energy to
exploit and create redox contrast between the surface of
5.2.2. The first life on Earth Earth and its interior (Nisbet and Fowler, 2003). This
All organisms present on Earth today (not including pattern persists today, as in a typical profile in marine
viruses) are based upon a hierarchy of cellular organiza- sediments or stratified water bodies (Fig. 4), and has
tion, consisting of five major functions: metabolism, probably prevailed throughout Earth’s history, as Earth
growth (reproduction), differentiation, chemical com- was transformed from an exclusively anoxic to a largely
munication, and evolution (Pascal et al., 2006). The first oxic environment.
organisms were therefore also probably organized on a
cellular basis. While fossil evidence suggests that
5.2.4. A universal context
photosynthesis arose early, the oxygen produced was
Although there is no direct evidence that life exists
consumed by mineral oxidation and only reached
elsewhere in the Universe, there are characteristics of
roughly 105 of today’s atmospheric concentration by
some environments both on Earth and elsewhere that
2.32 Ga (Bekker et al., 2004), signifying that the first
suggests the capability for supporting life is probably
organisms on Earth developed under anoxic conditions
not limited to our home planet. Discoveries of
(Nealson and Rye, 2003; Schulze-Makuch and Irwin,
extremophilic microbes have expanded the range of
2004; Canfield et al., 2006). We proceed with the safe
physical and chemical conditions possible for support-
assumption that life must be capable of using available
ing terrestrial life and have made many researchers less
free energy to maintain disequilibrium from its environ-
skeptical regarding the possibility for similar biology
ment.
elsewhere in the Universe (Montmerle et al., 2006b;
Chyba, 1997; Sagan, 1996). Recent discoveries, includ-
5.2.3. Emergent metabolisms
ing evidence that water once flowed on Mars (Squyres
Biology distinguishes itself by its capability to sustain
and Knoll, 2005), the presence of liquid oceans on the
and extend its environmental conditions. We know of
Jovian moons Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede (Lipps
only two ultimate sources of energy for life on Earth:
and Rieboldt, 2005, Scott et al., 2002), and organic
light from the Sun and geothermal (chemical) energy.
molecules on the Saturnian moon Titan (Mitchell,
The mechanism whereby life harnesses useful energy
2007), have fueled exobiological interest within and
from the environment appears to be nearly universal,
beyond our Solar system (Dick, 2006). We now follow
involving the use of redox energy to pump ions
life in Earth’s challenging environments and its implica-
(typically protons) across an impermeable membrane,
tions for extraterrestrial environments.
thus setting up a charge separation that can subse-
quently be exploited to drive the synthesis of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), the base unit of energy for living 5.3. Challenging aqueous habitats for life
systems. This fundamental metabolic process of life can
be quantified by the gap of the redox separation, with On Earth, life has adapted to cope with the varied
larger charge separation yielding higher energy, and conditions of the environment. Specialized protein
pumping more ions, ultimately allowing for more ATP biochemistry, niche selection, and metabolic diversity
production (Nealson and Rye, 2003). While photoauto- all can aid microbes in dealing with ‘‘extreme’’ environ-
trophs can directly capture and utilize light energy, other ments. Microbes have been found throughout Earth’s
organisms utilize reduced organic or inorganic mole- diverse biosphere, from 77 km high in the atmosphere to
cules, many of which are generated as a result of hundreds of meters below the seafloor (Cowen et al.,
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Black Sea Water Column 5.3.1. Dry environments

% maximum Some microbes have developed mechanisms to grow
0 50 100 and/or survive at much lower water activities than
0 required by most organisms. Some strategies provide
shelter, as is the case with cryptoendolithic microbial
O2
communities found in hot and cold deserts. Such
microbes colonize sandstones a few millimeters below
the surface, forming layers of algae and cyanobacteria as
50 primary producers and fungi and bacteria as consumers
NO3-
(Horneck, 2000). Alternatively, some organisms have
NO2- developed a tolerance to dessication by developing good
reserves of high-energy compounds, membrane stabili-
Depth (m)
zers, or spore-forming stages (Horneck, 2000; Kuhlman,

100 Mn++ et al., 2005; Thiagarajan and Aeolus Lee, 2004).
Fe++
With its current thin atmosphere, the surface of Mars
provides an extremely cold and dry climate, often
compared with the Dry Valleys of Antarctica as an
150 analog environment. If life once existed on the surface of
Mars, it is likely that it retreated into the Martian
subsurface (Rothschild, 1990). If so, cryptoendolithic
NH4+ communities on Earth may be suitable models for
H 2S
adaptation to the suite of extreme environmental
200 stresses (including low water availability, ultraviolet
intensity, oxidizing chemistry, etc.) on the Martian
Fig. 4. Energetics of redox reactions lead to typical biogeo-
chemical stratification in aqueous systems following well-
surface during the cooling phase of its atmosphere
established thermodynamic predictions (adapted from Nealson (Horneck, 2000).
et al., 1997). For example, oxidation of organic matter by
oxygen is a very favorable reaction, and after oxygen is 5.3.2. Brines and evaporites
depleted, a series of electron acceptors diminishing in redox When natural waters evaporate the dissolved minerals
2
potentials are consumed (NO 3 , MnO2, FeOOH, SO4 , etc.). become more concentrated, forming a brine and then
progressing to precipitation of evaporite deposits
(Mancinelli et al., 2004). Brines and evaporites char-
2003), from the interior of Antarctic ice cores (Abyzov, acterize a highly saline habitat that is hostile to most
1993) to surfaces near submarine 350 1C hydrothermal organisms, but ideal for halophiles. Hot and cold
vents (Deming and Baross, 1993). Habitats on Earth hypersaline lakes, Solar salterns, deep-sea brines, and
vary from largely uniform over a large area or volume hypersaline soils are halophilic environments found on
(deserts, oceans) to extremely vary over small scales Earth that probably had analogs on Mars at some time
(coral reefs). Biological diversity generally increases with during its history (Mancinelli, 2005). Halophilic micro-
increased heterogeneity due to the presence of more organisms live in hypersaline environments ranging
niches to which different forms of life can become from 15 wt% to saturation for salt content (Mancinelli,
optimally adapted (Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2004). 2005). At such concentrations of salt, organisms must be
Nearly all sites on and in Earth where an energy specially adapted to withstand osmotic pressure, as non-
source is available appear to be inhabited by microbial halophiles generally cannot tolerate osmotic stress.
communities (Horneck, 2000). All extant organisms are Many halophiles respond to increases in osmolarity by
based in a cellular matrix, using the same basic set of accumulating organic osmotic solutes within their
amino acids and similar lipid membranes to separate cytosol (Mancinelli, et al., 2004), providing protection
themselves from their environment. Of the behavioral, from dehydration and desiccation. Recent studies have
ecological, or physiological adaptations that organisms produced models for stromatolite formation in open
have evolved to cope with harsh environmental niches, marine systems and lithification in shallow hypersaline
probably the most useful is that of biochemical lakes that are highly relevant for interpreting the rock
metabolic diversity. Once life was established on Earth record and searching for extraterrestrial life (Dupraz
it has been very resilient. Life has persisted and occupied and Visscher, 2005).
every explored niche on this planet, including several
that are especially challenging. Here, we summarize four 5.3.3. Ice
such aqueous habitats that present unique challenges Psychrophiles are organisms that preferentially sub-
for life. sist in colder environments. On Earth, psychrophilic
ARTICLE IN PRESS
microbes are found in permafrost (Rivkina et al., 2004), of planetary evolution because it is not clear that rapid
ice sheets (Vincent et al., 2004), and subglacial lakes growth is a prerequisite for ecosystems in the early Earth
(Abyzov et al., 2001). Microbial cells have been detected (Nealson et al., 2005).
in glacier ice cores at depths of 3.6 km, corresponding to
an interfacial zone between basal and accretionary ice at
the surface of subglacial Lake Vostok, Antarctica 5.4. Other planets as habitats
(Abyzov et al., 2001). Lake Vostok has held consider-
able interest for a number of years because of its Recent technological advances have provided insight
potential for containing relict forms of life on Earth into the present and past conditions of many of Earth’s
(it has been sealed from the rest of Earth for a million neighbors. Venus may have had the right proximity to
years or more) and as an analogue for ice-covered the Sun at one time to host water oceans and life
oceans on the Jovian satellites Europa, Ganymede and (Kasting et al., 1993), but has since lost all of its
Callisto. Numbers of cells from ice horizons just above hydrogen (i.e., water; Donahue et al., 1982; Watson et
the subglacial lake range from hundreds per milliliters al., 1984). Tectonic activity on Mars has ceased and the
(Karl et al., 1999) to nearly an order of magnitude planet has lost the ability to renew its surface, losing
higher (Priscu et al., 1999), suggesting that the upper most of its CO2 atmosphere and turning into a freeze-
layers of accreted ice from Lake Vostok contain dried desert (Chyba and Hand, 2005). The discovery of
microorganisms from upper ice sheet horizons, moraine the subsurface biosphere on Earth has impacted our
material, and lake water (Abyzov et al., 2001). It is thinking about prospects for life elsewhere (Sagan, 1996;
unclear how metabolically active most psychrophiles are Chyba, 1997). It is even imaginable for planets that have
at extremely low temperatures, but recent evidence been ejected from their parent star and are floating free
suggests growth at temperatures as low as 20 1C, with in space to remain habitable for subsurface life,
slow doubling times of 180 days. For mere survival provided sufficient geothermal activity permits liquid
without growth, cold temperatures provide little barrier water at depth. Additionally, Lunar and Martian
to microbes, as freezing in liquid N2 is a common meteorites have shown that surface material can be
technique for preservation of cells, and dry bacterial exchanged between planets (Taylor, 2001).
spores have been shown to survive temperatures down As of September, 2007, 212 extraSolar planets have
to 263 1C. been discovered (Exoplanets.org, 2007), and technolo-
gies are developing to give supporting evidence for the
5.3.4. Hydrothermal systems presence of water on some (e.g., Tinetti et al., 2007). A
The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents includ- key goal of the proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder and
ing 350 1C ‘‘black smokers’’ opened new research fields Darwin space missions is the spectroscopic detection of
into extremophilic chemosynthetic life (Prieur, 2005). water on terrestrial planets orbiting other stars. As
Vent fluids are chemically distinct from seawater, mentioned above, while solvents other than water
generally characterized by low pH and high concentra- may be sufficient for hosting complex biochemical
tions of reduced inorganic compounds and dissolved reactions, much more work is needed to demonstrate
gases resulting from subseafloor hydrothermal circula- the feasibility of possible chemical mechanisms. Even if
tion and rock–water interactions. It has been proposed solvents other than water prove to be incapable of
that the chemoautotrophic origin of life evolved in a supporting life, and life is restricted to water-abundant
volcanic iron–sulfur-rich environment similar to that of bodies such as Earth and possibly Mars and Europa
hydrothermal vents (Wachtershauser, 2006). Indeed, the (Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2004), the sheer number of
vents provide for a variety of electron donors and planets and moons that surely exist in the Universe,
acceptors that are utilized by thermophiles and/or combined with the abundance of oxygen and hydrogen,
hyperthermophiles. make widespread life as we know it a distinct possibility.
Of considerable interest is the growing evidence for a Schulze-Makuch and Irwin (2004) summarize the like-
large subseafloor biosphere (Whitman et al., 1998; lihood for various bodies in our Solar System to support
Cowen et al., 2003; Edwards et al., 2005; Nealson et life using a Plausibility of Life – POL – rating, pseudo-
al., 2005). Life may have originated in the subsurface, quantifiable on a scale of I–V based on abundance of
protected from catastrophic events such as volcanic water, organics, and an energy source. Earth, gratify-
eruptions and meteorite impacts (Trevors, 2002). While ingly, gets a POL rating of I, while the Moon is rated
the biomass in the subseafloor may be large, metabolic only V because it is too dry, lacks an atmosphere, and
rates measured to date are low (D’hondt, et al., 2002), lacks geological cycling. Venus, Mars, Europa, Gany-
indicating that most prokaryotes are inactive or mede, and Titan are rated II. While the possibility exists
metabolically slow (Parkes, et al., 2005). The issue of for other bodies, including comets and asteroids, to
growth rates and metabolic efficiencies of subseafloor support life, we focus below on Mars, Europa, and
microbes will be important to resolve within the context Titan.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
5.4.1. Mars Phillips, 2001; Chyba and Hand, 2005) or possible

Although Mars is now largely inactive geologically, hydrothermal activity (McCollom, 1999), though bio-
massive volcanism and possibly even plate tectonics mass that could be supported would be low (see also
occurred at some time in its past (Acuna et al., 1999). Lipps and Rieboldt, 2005).
Such activity could have provided an energy source to
support life (Jakosky and Shock, 1998). Aside from 5.4.3. Titan
possible parallel origins for life, it has been proposed Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and represents an
that ‘‘lithopanspermia’’ could have occurred between intriguing natural laboratory due its cold temperatures
Earth and Mars, especially during the period of heavy (94 K), lack of liquid water, and apparently complex
bombardment prior to 3.8 Ga (Wells et al., 2003; Stetter, carbon cycle involving methane clouds, photolytically
2006; Stoffler et al., 2007). In any case, it is likely that derived hydrocarbons, and erosion-riddled surface
similar habitable niches existed on both early Earth and (Chyba and Hand, 2005). Titan is a complex world,
early Mars. At its smaller size Mars would have cooled apparently impacted by tectonic, atmospheric, and
much faster than Earth. If its surface cooled earlier life fluvial processes similar to those on Earth; however,
could have begun on Mars before it did on Earth, if life rates of such physical activities on Titan are likely to be
originated in shallow water habitats (Westall, 2005). much slower (Porco et al., 2005). The 2005 cooperative
Martian life would then have progressed to evaporitic NASA-ESA Cassini/Huygens mission (Lebreton et al.,
and halophilic habitats with increasingly arid condi- 2005) and resulting data has kept the spotlight on Titan
tions, ultimately resembling the Antarctic Dry Valleys as a prominent target of astrobiological importance.
of Earth today, where cryptoendolithic microbes are Particularly interesting are the direct atmospheric
found. measurements from the gas chromatograph–mass spec-
The discoveries by the two Mars Exploration Rovers trometer that confirm the abundant presence of nitrogen
have greatly expanded our understanding of the history and methane in Titan’s thick atmosphere (Niemann
and current status of liquid water on Mars (Squyres et al., 2005). These measurements have provided insight
et al., 2004). In particular, the presence of sulfate salt into the photochemistry that forms complex hydrocar-
deposits in the Meridiani Planum strongly suggests that bons and nitriles. Also of note is the likely detection of
the region has been inundated by large volumes of liquid water ice (Porco et al., 2005), which has spawned new
water. Comparisons have been made between outcrop laboratory experiments simulating the chemical evolu-
rocks at Meridiani Planum and the mineralogy and tion of Titan’s surface. These experiments have gener-
sedimentary geobiology of the Rio Tinto Basin, Spain ated C–H–O, C–H–N, and C–H–O–N compounds by
(Fernandez-Remolar et al., 2005), as biologically electrical discharge (Plankensteiner et al., 2007). Titan
mediated oxidation of pyritic ore bodies in the source has become a priority target for future studies, perhaps
area of the Rio Tinto generates headwaters enriched in at the expense of Mars (see also Lorenz et al., 2005).
sulfuric acid and ferric iron. Gaining a better under-
standing of biosignatures that may be imparted to
sedimentary rocks during iron oxidation in areas like
5.5. A note of caution
Rio Tinto should help to elucidate the history of water
Although much consideration for possible habitabil-
and any biological oxidation activity on Mars (see also
ity is given to the presence of liquid water, life as we
Tokano, 2005).
know it demands as well a suite of biogenic elements
(i.e., C, H, O, N, P, and S) and a usable form of free
5.4.2. Europa
energy (Chyba and Hand, 2005). It is likely that an
Europa is an ice-covered moon of Jupiter, roughly the
environment without volcanism, and therefore lacking
same size as Earth’s Moon. It is among the most
an abiotic source of redox disequilibrium, would have
interesting targets in our Solar System for astrobiology
because it probably hosts a deep ocean of liquid water little to offer life because of a lack of readily available
free energy. While the presence of water is a key
beneath an icy shell 10–30 km thick (Carr et al., 1998).
parameter in the search for astrobiology, the presence of
Gravity measurements from the Galileo spacecraft to
chemical gradients, because of their potential for
showed that Europa is an internally differentiated rocky
generating free energy, is equally important and should
body with a surface layer 80–170 km thick of density
not be overlooked (Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2004).
1000 kg/m. Europa is locked in mean-motion (or
orbital) resonance with Io and Ganymede, two other
satellites of Jupiter, which likely would lead to enough
tidal flexing and internal energy dissipation to maintain 6. Concluding remarks
most of the ice layer as liquid water. Possible sources for
supplying an environmental chemical disequilibrium on Much remains to be learned about water in the
Europa include charged-particle radiation (Chyba and Universe and its relationship with life. We are beginning
ARTICLE IN PRESS
to learn how water behaves in interstellar space as both NASA Astrobiology Institute at the University of
observational and laboratory experimental techniques Hawaii, under Cooperative Agreement No. NNA04C-
improve. Because water is one of the most abundant C08A issued through the Office of Space Science, and by
materials in the Universe, water ice plays a key role as the National Science Foundation through grants OCE
both a substrate and a reactant in space, aiding in 0646630 to MJM and AST 0507763 to RIK. We thank
formation of surprisingly complex organic molecules. Associate Editor Klaus Keil for inviting us to submit
Increases in computing power and chemical analytical this paper, and John Chambers and Nicolas Dauphas
techniques, especially mass spectrometry on small for thorough and helpful reviews.
samples, have led to rapid advances, but we still do
not have a clear understanding of the history of water in
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Chemie der Erde 67 (2007) 253–282

Received 3 August 2007; accepted 13 September 2007

1. Introduction out onto sub-micron-sized dust grains and formed icy

cometary comae, implying that some cometary material

Table 3. Mass of water on Earth and relevant deuterium contents

Mass of H2O H2O wt% or As ppm H in dD (%) dD D/H Ref.

Oceans 1371.3 38 0 156 1

5.1. Water as a life support system 5.1.2. Chemistry of solutes

Black Sea Water Column 5.3.1. Dry environments

zers, or spore-forming stages (Horneck, 2000; Kuhlman,

5.4.1. Mars Phillips, 2001; Chyba and Hand, 2005) or possible

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