Hydrosphere Has Shrunk Over Course Of Earth's History After All
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I post this as I've claimed on these boards in arguments with canopy-preaching theists that the hydrosphere has been consistent since the Earth's early formation but this may not be true, according to new research. Earth has lost 25 per cent of its water.
"The results demonstrate that the young planet's oceans, in relation to those of today, had proportionately more 'normal water' than 'heavy water' in them," said researcher Emily Pope of the University of Copenhagen. "We can explain this difference by the fact that Earth has lost less than ¼ of its water budget over the last roughly 4 billion years." Pope and her colleagues consider that type of loss over that long period of time "stable."
http://news.ku.dk/all_news/2012/2012.3/new-water-budget-on-planet-earth/
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
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The article said "the earth has lost 1/4 of its water budget" not "the earth has lost 1/4 of its water".
Now, what they mean by "water budget" is a question I have put forth to the researcher. I'll let you know if I get a response.
Got an email reply from the researcher who told me that "total water budget" is an accounting of all the water on the Earth in every form. This includes water vapor in the atmosphere, water lost and water gained to outerspace. They are trying to figure out if we are losing more or gaining more compared to the past history of the planet.
For clarifying that appreciate the effort.