Earth formed from the mixture of Meteorites

Earth was formed from various types of meteorites. This is the result of a study published in the journal Science on Friday (02/03/2012). Fitoussi and Caroline Bernard Bourdon from the Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, France, is an expert who is behind the geochemical study.

Fitoussi and Bourdon analyze silicon isotopes on Earth rocks and meteorites. The process of research conducted at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.

Previously, it was believed that the Earth was formed from the subclass called enstatite chondrite meteorites. The reason, Earth rocks and meteorites that have a common type of oxygen isotopes, nickel, and chromium.

In this study, Fitoussi and Bourdon compare Earth rocks with two types of meteorites, the enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrite, as well as a collection of NASA's moon rocks. Chondrite meteorite is a type that has not undergone differentiation of initial conditions. While enstatite chondrite type meteorite is rich in minerals enstatite (MgSiO3).

Based on the results of the study, found that the Earth is not just a material formed from enstatite chondrite meteorites, but also enstatite achondrite.

"This is the first time the isotopic composition of various elements in enstatite chondrites and Earth observation. Results were very different from previous observations," says Fitoussi.

Silicon isotope analysis also revealed that the Earth and the Moon have in common. It gives clues that the material that formed the Moon mixed with the material in the mantle of Earth before the Moon formed.

"This will tell us about how the Moon formed and what are their limits," said Fitoussi as quoted Space, Friday today.