13 April, 2018

Earth’s temperature history is good news for finding alien life

An analysis of temperature during early Earth’s history supports more moderate average temperatures throughout the billions of years when life slowly emerged on Earth.


Theories about the early days of our planet’s history vary wildly. Some studies have painted the picture of a snowball Earth, when much of its surface was frozen. Other theories have included periods that would be inhospitably hot for most current lifeforms to survive. The new research suggests a milder youth for our planet.

“Ideas about the early Earth’s environment are all over the place, from a very hot world, to one locked in a permanent ice age, from a world with acidic oceans to one with seawater so alkaline it would sting your eyes,” says David Catling, a professor of earth and space sciences at the University of Washington.


Read the Futurity story by Hannah Hickey from the University of Washington - “Earth’s temperature history is good news for finding alien life.”

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