Chemistry of the Earth

Abstract

The solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The Earth and other terrestrial planets are believed to have formed by gathering together the so-called planetesimals. Planetesimals are formed by the coalescence of fine- or coarse-grained mineral matters, metals, and gases of various kinds (such as mentioned in the previous chapter). As planetesimals stuck together mostly by gravity and the body thus formed grew larger, it became a precursor of terrestrial planet. Some of these bodies were smashed by other bodies, and their fragments became meteorites. Hence, studies of meteorites would provide a lot of insight into the formation and the earlier state of the Earth.