Volatiles.

February 20, 2023

Volatiles are elements or compounds that change from solid or liquid state into vapour at relatively low temperatures.
- The most common volatiles are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, hydrogen, methane, sulphur dioxide and water.
New research suggests that some of the well-known volatiles may have come from beyond inner solar system such as zinc, a volatile, has come from asteroids originating in the outer Solar System beyond the asteroid belt.
Without contribution of outer Solar System material, the Earth would have had fewer concentrations of volatiles, making the planet drier and potentially unable to nourish and sustain life.
Material with a high concentration of zinc and other volatile constituents is also likely to be rich in water, giving clues about the origin of Earth’s water.
In a recent study, the researchers examined meteorites from the inner Solar System, known as non-carbonaceous meteorites, and from the outer Solar System, known as carbonaceous meteorites.
While the Earth only incorporated about ten percent of its mass from carbonaceous bodies, this material supplied about half of Earth’s zinc.