Between 4.1 and 3.8 billion years ago, the Solar System was in turmoil. Known as the Late Heavy Bombardment, the period was characterized by an enhanced rate of asteroid impacts in the inner Solar System - remnants from the planet building processes ...

... may have separated out from the rocks shortly after the Earth formed, or it may have been delivered to Earth during the late heavy bombardment period, in the form of comets or water-rich, chondritic meteorites. It is most likely that both processes c ...