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Canada’s Energy-Rich Alberta to Cap Oil Sands Emissions

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CALGARY, Alberta—The government of oil-rich Alberta province in western Canada on Sunday pledged to phase out coal emissions by 2030, limit greenhouse gases from oil-sands production and implement an economywide carbon tax.

The province unveiled the long-awaited plan one day ahead of a meeting in Ottawa among Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, and the leaders of other Canadian provinces and territories to discuss environment policy. Mr. Trudeau has pledged to develop a framework for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions before a United Nations summit on Nov. 30.

The plan comes at a challenging time for coal and oil producers in western Canada that are struggling to cope with low commodity prices.

“Our goal is to become one of the world’s most progressive and forward-looking energy producers,” Ms. Notley said at a news conference in Edmonton. “We are turning the page on the mistaken policies of the past.”

The premier described President Barack Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline earlier this month as a “kick in the teeth” and a wake up call for Canada to improve the province’s environmental reputation. Mr. Obama cited Alberta’s “dirtier crude oil” in his decision not to approve the project, which is designed to carry oil-sands crude from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Flanked by oil industry executives and representatives from Native American and environmental groups, Ms. Notley said the new levies would be “revenue neutral” to offset other taxes, and that some funds will be set aside to research energy technologies.

Ms. Notley’s left-leaning government swept into power in May, ousting a right-of-center party that ruled the province for four decades and had played down the urgency of policies to address global climate change. Weeks later, Alberta said it would double its existing carbon tax on large-scale industrial emitters to 30 Canadian dollars ($22.50) per metric ton by 2017.

That tax will be extended across the province’s economy by instituting levies on sales of gasoline and on household utility bills. Alberta also will end coal-fired generation of electricity and mandate that renewable forms of energy account for 30% of electrical production by 2030. Coal currently accounts for about 38% of Alberta’s electrical generation capacity, with natural gas making up 44% of the total. The remainder comes from renewables such as hydroelectric generation, biomass and wind.

The government also said it would enact a limit on total oil-sands emissions of greenhouse gases of 100 million metric tons.

Alberta’s oil sands are one of the most emissions-intensive forms of crude extraction. Oil-sands wells require steam injections to leach out crude embedded in sand, a process that burns up to 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas to produce a single barrel of oil. Canada’s government estimates that oil sands-related emissions will nearly double to 103 million metric tons by 2020.

Oil and gas producers in Alberta had expressed concerns about the rapid policy shift in recent weeks. But four of the biggest oil sands producers, including Suncor Energy Ltd., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. , Cenovus Energy Inc. and the Canadian unit of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, on Sunday said they backed the new initiative, noting it would accelerate clean- energy technology investment.

“This plan recognizes a need for a balance between the environment and the economy,” Murray Edwards, chairman of Canadian Natural Resources, said at the news conference. “We will do our part to address climate change while protecting jobs and industry competitiveness,” he said, speaking on behalf of the province’s top oil-sands producers.

Production from the oil sands has been growing at a steady clip in recent years, making the industry one of the fastest-growing contributors to rising Canadian carbon emissions. Canada’s environment ministry says the country’s CO2 emissions have risen over the past five years and are expected to hit 781 million metric tons a year by 2020 if no reduction measures are taken.

“Meaningful action in Alberta was long overdue,” Alberta’s environment minister, Shannon Philips, said at the news conference. She called climate change “the single greatest threat to our health and out economy.”

Source: Canada’s Energy-Rich Alberta to Cap Oil Sands Emissions – WSJ

Brussels stays on high alert over serious, imminent threat

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By RAF CASERT and FRANK JORDANS   Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) – With hundreds of troops patrolling Brussels for a second day and authorities hunting one or more suspected militants, the Belgian government chose Sunday to keep the capital on the highest state of alert into the start of the workweek to prevent a Paris-style attack.

Citing a “serious and imminent” threat, Prime Minister Charles Michel announced that schools and universities in Brussels will be closed Monday, with the subway remaining shut down, preventing a return to normal in the city that is also home to the European Union’s main institutions.

“We fear an attack like in Paris, with several individuals, perhaps in several places,” Michel said after chairing a meeting of Belgium’s National Security Council.

While Brussels was kept on the highest of four alert levels, the rest of the country remain on a Level 3 alert, meaning an attack is “possible and likely.”

“Nobody is pleased with such a situation. Neither are we. But we have to take our responsibility,” Michel said.

The situation was tense Sunday night in the wider area around the Grand Place, with police out in force and several raids looking for suspects going on. At one point, security forces closed off streets and yelled at people to stay away.

Western leaders stepped up the rhetoric against the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more; the suicide bombings in Beirut that killed 43 people and injured more than 200; and the downing of the Russian jetliner carrying 224 people in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. All happened within the past month.

“We will not accept the idea that terrorist assaults on restaurants and theaters and hotels are the new normal, or that we are powerless to stop them,” President Barack Obama said in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said IS must be destroyed at all costs. “We must annihilate Islamic State worldwide … and we must destroy Islamic State on its own territory,” Le Drian said. “That’s the only possible direction.”

The decision to put Brussels on the highest alert came early Saturday as authorities frantically searched for Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to have played a key role in the Nov. 13 attacks in France. He is known to have crossed into Belgium the day after the attacks.

Interior Minister Jan Jambon warned that the threat wouldn’t necessarily disappear if Abdeslam was found, because they are looking for several people in connection with a possible planned attack in Brussels.

“The terror threat is wider that just that person,” Jambon said. “We are looking at several things. That is why we are making the big show of power and following everything up by the minute. It’s of no use to hide this.”

Several of the Paris attackers had lived in Brussels, including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the plot’s orchestrator who was killed Wednesday in a standoff with French police.

Abdeslam is known to have crossed into Belgium on Nov. 14. His brother, Mohamed Abdeslam, went on Belgian TV and urged him to surrender, saying he would rather see him “in prison than in a cemetery.”

On Saturday, authorities in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya detained a 26-year-old Belgian citizen suspected of being linked to Islamic extremists and possibly to the Paris attacks.

France has intensified its aerial bombing in Syria and Le Drian said the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which has been sent to the Mediterranean to help combat IS militants in Syria, will be “operational” from Monday and “ready to act.”

Also Monday, French President Francois Hollande is scheduled to meet in Paris with British Prime Minister David Cameron and will travel to Washington and Moscow later in the week to push for a stronger international coalition against IS. Cameron is expected to outline his plan for combating the militants as he seeks parliamentary approval to join France, the U.S. and Russia in striking the group’s strongholds in Syria.

Russia also is trumpeting action it’s taking to fight IS. It has intensified its airstrikes in Syria in response to the Oct. 31 downing of its passenger plane in Egypt.

On Sunday, Russian law enforcement officers raided a militant hideout in the North Caucasus, killing 11 in an exchange of fire. The militants were part of a group whose members had pledged allegiance to IS, the National Anti-Terrorist Committee said in a statement.

Attacks like those in Paris are aimed partly at provoking the West, as the Islamic State group hopes that stepped-up military action in the region will reinforce its narrative of a clash of civilizations and attract more Muslims to its ranks. IS and other militant groups seize on harsh Western rhetoric and civilian deaths to portray themselves as defending Muslims from modern “Crusaders.”

In an effort to minimize possible targets, Belgian officials recommended that sports competitions and all activities in public buildings be canceled this weekend, and malls and commercial centers closed.

The security measures left Brussels eerily quiet, with streets deserted and many of the city’s famous beer bars and restaurants largely empty.

Residents were bracing for the impact that the continued clampdown would have on this city of more than 1 million as the workweek began.

“I can’t believe they are closing down the city. It is crazy but they must have a good reason,” said Josephine Lemmens, a physiotherapist.

Lemmens said she didn’t know what she would do with her 11-year-old son now that schools have been ordered closed, but she conceded the measures were justified if they prevented an attack like the one in Paris.

Restaurant worker Raphael Lungo said the decision to keep the subway idle would affect him most.

“This is really going to complicate my life. I take the metro very day and I don’t know what I will do tomorrow,” he said, voicing confidence that the emergency wouldn’t last too long. “Europe succeeded in beating the Nazis,” he said.

The European Union’s executive Commission decided to stay open for business but its vice president, Kristalina Georgieva, warned people to be vigilant and expect increased security checks. NATO also said it would be open Monday, with security measures increased.

In France, police issued a new appeal to identify the third attacker who was killed in the assault at the national stadium. They posted a photo of the man on Twitter, asking the public for information that would help identify him.

France has extended a state of emergency, which allows police raids, searches and house arrest without permission from a judge, for three months. On Saturday, it also extended a ban on demonstrations and other gatherings through Nov. 30, when a U.N. climate conference with more than 100 heads of state is scheduled to start.

In a sign of the nervousness in Paris since the attacks, some travelers at the Gare Du Nord station ran out of their trains Sunday after hearing noises they thought were gunshots but actually were caused by a pigeon being electrocuted on the tracks.

Jordans reported from Paris. Maria Sanminiatelli and Thomas Adamson in Paris, Josh Lederman in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Gregory Katz in London, Joseph Krauss in Cairo, and Lorne Cook and Maria Cheng in Brussels contributed to this story.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

Source: Brussels stays on high alert over serious, imminent threat

NHL MORNING SKATE – NOV. 22, 2015

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NHL MORNING SKATE – NOV. 22, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
BOSTON 2, Toronto 0
OTTAWA 4, Philadelphia 0
TAMPA BAY 5, Anaheim 0
NY Rangers 5, FLORIDA 4 (OT)
San Jose 3, PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 7, Colorado 3
WINNIPEG 3, Arizona 2
Detroit 4, ST. LOUIS 3 (OT)
DALLAS 3, Buffalo 0
MINNESOTA 4, Nashville 0
VANCOUVER 6, Chicago 3

MARLEAU REACHES 1,000-POINT MILESTONE IN SHARKS’ WIN

Patrick Marleau collected a pair of assists to eclipse 1,000 NHL points (462-539—1,001 in 1,349 GP) and help the Sharks improve to 5-0-0 on their season-high, six-game road trip that concludes this afternoon in Columbus.

* Via Elias, the Sharks have won five consecutive games, all on the road, for the first time since Oct. 21-29, 2011 (also 5-0-0).
* Marleau, the second overall selection by San Jose in the 1997 NHL Draft, became the 83rd player in League history – and first in Sharks history – to reach the 1,000-point milestone. Marleau also is San Jose’s all-time leader in goals and games played and ranks second in club history in assists.
* Marleau, who reached the milestone at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, was drafted across the street at the former site of Civic Arena, the Penguins’ previous home. Only two other players from the 1997 NHL Draft have hit the 1,000-point milestone: current teammate Joe Thornton (361-912—1,273 in 1,305 GP) and Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa (489-576—1,065 in 1,190 GP).
* “I guess just having everybody coming up and congratulating me and throwing different numbers out there, it starts to take a little bit of shape how big it kind of is,” Marleau said. “A lot of teammates are a part of it over the years and it wouldn’t happen without them.”

* Click here for a closer look at Marleau’s milestone performance.

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 21: Patrick Marleau #12 of the San Jose Sharks poses with his 1000th career NHL point puck after a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on November 21, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 21: Patrick Marleau #12 of the San Jose Sharks poses with his 1000th career NHL point puck after a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on November 21, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

HAT TRICKS POWER CANUCKS, RANGERS

Hat tricks by Daniel Sedin (3-1—4) and Rick Nash (3-0—3) powered the Canucks and Rangers, respectively, to wins on Saturday:

* D. Sedin posted his sixth career hat trick, including his 900th NHL point, and brother Henrik Sedin notched 1-4—5 to lift the Canucks to a victory in their return home following a 1-4-2 road trip. D. Sedin, the second overall selection by Vancouver in the 1999 NHL Draft, registered his first hat trick since Dec. 6, 2011 vs. COL (3-0—3) and became the second player in franchise history to reach 900 points (337-566—903 in 1,082 GP). The other: H. Sedin (217-718—935 in 1,113 GP).
* H. Sedin equaled and established career highs for assists and points in a game, respectively. He became the first Canucks player to record at least five points in a game since Feb. 6, 2007 at EDM, when he and his brother also combined for nine points (D. Sedin: 3-2—5, H. Sedin: 0-4—4). Overall, D. Sedin (10-12—22) and H. Sedin (6-14—20) rank first and second, respectively, on the Canucks in scoring this season (21 GP).
* The Panthers erased a two-goal deficit in the final 2:28 of regulation, but Nash completed his seventh career hat trick at 2:01 of overtime to lead the Rangers to their 10th win in their last 11 outings. At 15-3-2 (32 points), the Rangers are off to their best 20-game start to a season – in terms of wins – in the franchise’s 89-year history. Their 32 points also equal a club record, established in 1971-72 (14-2-4).
* Nash, who entered the contest with two goals in his first 17 outings of the season, notched his first hat trick since Dec. 23, 2014 vs. WSH (3-0—3). Per Elias, he became the fourth player in Rangers history to complete a hat trick with an overtime goal. The others: Cecil Dillon (Dec. 12, 1936 at TOR), Tomas Sandstrom (Dec. 31, 1986 vs. NYI) and Marian Gaborik (Jan. 23, 2013 vs. BOS).

DEFENSE, OFFENSE HELP STARS CONTINUE RECORD-SETTING START . . .

Antti Niemi stopped all 22 shots he faced and both Jamie Benn (2-0—2) and Tyler Seguin (0-2—2) collected two points to power the Stars to their fifth consecutive victory.
* At 17-4-0 (34 points), the League-leading Stars continued their best start to a season (through 21 GP) – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 48-year history.
* Niemi earned his 34th career shutout and second of the season (also Oct. 8 vs. PIT: 37 SV). He turned aside 46 of 47 shots in Dallas’ two wins over Buffalo in the past week (.979 SV%).
* Benn notched his third multi-goal performance of the season to extend his point streak to five games (4-4—8) and reclaim the League lead in goals (14).
* Seguin also extended his point streak to five games (2-5—7). He and teammate John Klingberg (0-1—1) share first in the NHL with 19 assists (also tied w/ Patrick Kane).

. . . FOUR OTHER CLUBS STOP THEM ALL

Four other teams also recorded shutouts en route to wins on Saturday:

* Craig Anderson made 36 saves to pick up his second consecutive shutout (31st of his career) in helping the Senators extend their point streak to five games (3-0-2). Anderson has posted consecutive shutouts for the second time in his career – he also did so from March 2-4, 2008 (w/ FLA).
* Devan Dubnyk denied 23 shots to earn his third shutout of 2015-16, tied for first in the NHL, and help the Wild improve to 8-1-0 this season at Xcel Energy Center. Dubnyk has eight shutouts since joining Minnesota in January (57 GP); he had nine in his first 192 NHL appearances.
* Ben Bishop celebrated his 29th birthday by stopping 30 shots en route to his 13th career shutout (first this season) and the Lightning’s second straight victory following a 1-3-1 stretch. Bishop, who made 13 of his saves in the second period, improved to 5-0-1 in six career appearances vs. ANA (1.04 GAA, .965 SV%, 1 SO).
* Tuukka Rask turned aside 22 shots to record his second shutout of the season and lead the Bruins past the Maple Leafs in the first half of their home-and-home series. Rask improved to 12-3-1 in 18 career regular-season appearances vs. TOR, the team that drafted him 21st overall in 2005 (1.74 GAA, .938 SV%, 2 SO).

AROUND THE RINKS

* Seven different Capitals players scored – including a quartet of defensemen – to guide the club to a 5-2-1 record in its past eight outings. Four Capitals defensemen scored in the same game for the first time since Dec. 4, 1992 vs. NYR. ICYMI: Dmitry Orlov fooled the entire Avalanche team before notching his first goal of the season.
* The Blues tied the game with 2:10 remaining in regulation, but Teemu Pulkkinen scored with 18.8 seconds left in overtime to propel the Red Wings to a 3-0-1 record in their last four outings. Dylan Larkin scored for the fourth straight game (4-0—4); he shares first among rookies with eight goals this season (w/ Max Domi).
* Chris Thorburn notched the tiebreaking goal – while shorthanded – with 8:51 remaining in regulation to lift the Jets to their second straight victory following a 0-5-1 skid. Thorburn registered his fourth career shorthanded goal and first since Jan. 30, 2010 at NSH (w/ ATL).

STREAKING

* Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane collected one assist to extend his point streak to a career-high 16 games (10-16—26). Via Elias, Kane – who paces the League in assists (tied) and points this season (13-19—32 in 21 GP) – became the first player (on any team) to post a point streak of 16 or more games since March 7 – April 7, 2012, when Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis totaled 10-12—22 during a 17-game point streak. Kane also became the first Blackhawks player to record a point streak of 16 or more games since Dec. 12, 1987 – Jan. 13, 1988 (Denis Savard: 11-17—28 in 16 GP).
* Senators forward Bobby Ryan notched two assists to extend his point streak to a career-high eight games (3-7—10).
* Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron recorded one assist to extend his point streak to seven games (3-5—8).
* Avalanche forward Matt Duchene (6-6—12), Senators captain Erik Karlsson (5-5—10) and Wild captain Mikko Koivu (1-5—6) all extended their point streaks to six games.
* Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (2-5—7) and Blackhawks forward Artem Anisimov (3-3—6) both extended their point streaks to five games.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr scored his 730th career goal to move within one of tying Marcel Dionne (731 G) for fourth place in NHL history.
* Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk notched his first goal of the season (6 GP) to move within one of 300 in his NHL career (299-572—871 in 893 GP).
* Blues forward Kyle Brodziak recorded his 100th NHL goal (642 GP).
* Avalanche forward Andreas Martinsen posted his first NHL goal (6 GP).
* Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who played his first NHL season in Winnipeg, scored his first goal in the city since 1995-96. Doan (374 G) also moved within five goals of tying Dale Hawerchuk (379 G) for the most in franchise history.
* Avalanche forward Matt Duchene collected his 200th NHL assist (439 GP).
* Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla played in his 1,412th career game to surpass Harry Howell (1,411 GP) and move into sole possession of 31st place in NHL history.
* Captain Mikko Koivu, who has spent his entire NHL career with the Wild, became the second player in franchise history to play in 700 games (also Nick Schultz: 743 GP).
* Blues forward Alexander Steen also played in his 700th NHL game.

LOOSE PUCKS

Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko (1-1—2) scored his 13th goal of the season, tied for second in the NHL (w/ Patrick Kane). He has 6-3—9 in his past six outings, including four multi-point performances . . . Lightning captain Steven Stamkos posted 2-1—3, including his 10th and 11th goals of the season – tied for fourth in the NHL (w/ Tyler Seguin) . . . Per Elias, Rangers forward Chris Kreider became the sixth player in NHL history to attempt a penalty shot in consecutive games. The others: Mike Walton (1967-68 Maple Leafs), Brent Peterson (1983-84 Sabres), Esa Pirnes (2003-04 Kings), Erik Cole (2005-06 Hurricanes) and Marian Hossa (2005-06 Thrashers) . . . Wild defenseman Ryan Suter, the seventh overall selection by the Predators in the 2003 NHL Draft, scored his first goal against his former club (1-11—12 in 15 GP). Suter (1-2—3) also matched a career high with his seventh three-point performance . . . Stars forward Antoine Roussel registered his third game-winning goal of the season (19 GP) while celebrating his 26th birthday. He had three game-winning goals in his first 200 NHL appearances prior to 2015-16 . . . Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer turned aside 35 of 36 shots, but saw his personal winning streak end at five games . . . Capitals forward Jason Chimera equaled a career high with three assists . . . ICYMI: Coyotes forward Max Domi, who was born in Winnipeg, spent time with a young fan who also has diabetes . . . The Penguins aired a video tribute for Sharks defenseman Paul Martin, who totaled 17-92—109 (297 GP) with Pittsburgh over the past five seasons.

SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Los Angeles @ Carolina, 1:00 p.m., FS-W, FS-CR
San Jose @ Columbus, 5:00 p.m., CSN-CA, FS-O
NY Islanders @ Montreal, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, SN, MSG+, RDS
New Jersey @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., MSG, SNP, SNV

HOMETOWN HOCKEY TOUR STOPS IN CORNER BROOK

The Canadiens and Islanders complete their home-and-home series as Rogers Hometown Hockey visits Corner Brook, Nfld. – the home province of former NHL players Keith Brown and Darren Langdon as well as the latest stop in the career of former NHL forward Arron Asham. Throughout 2015-16, Sunday games will be broadcast from a different community rink in various towns across Canada. Included in each telecast will be local NHL player profiles, grassroots stories and local entertainment features.

Click here for more details about the festivities in Corner Brook.

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New Investigation Questions Hitler’s Suicide

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He was responsible for WWII and creating the system which led to the death of 6 million Jews. But as the Soviet Army surrounded Berlin, signaling the end of the Third Reich’s horrific reign, did Hitler really commit suicide in his underground bunker, or did he escape to South America to live out his life unpunished?

It’s one of last century’s greatest mysteries, and now experts have determined there is as much evidence suggesting Hitler didn’t die in Berlin as there is he did. A California University of Pennsylvania senior professor, John Cencich recently completed an investigation into Hitler’s death on behalf of the History Channel. His conclusion that Hitler did in fact escape Berlin comes after a factual and objective analysis of historical evidence using existing forensic technology combined with the evidence from 1945.

The impetus behind the new investigation comes from the declassification of over 700 pages of documents by the FBI which hint at the possibility Hitler may have survived and escaped to South America. Files from the Office of Strategic Services (the CIA’s predecessor) and other intelligence organisations which have been declassified worldwide were also reviewed.

The documents included a recently discovered memo written by the late J. Edgar Hoover – FBI director at the time – which states that American Army officials hadn’t located Hitler’s body and couldn’t find any reliable source to definitively say that Hitler was dead. The Russians were the ones to capture Berlin and eventually find the burned bodies who they believed to be Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun. However, even Josef Stalin, the Soviet leader, didn’t believe Hitler was dead and according to Cencich, from the evidence it appears the Russians botched their investigation of the suicide team.

Add to that the existence of underground tunnels and a subway system which was determined to lead from Hitler’s bunker to the nearby Tempelfhof Airport and you don’t have to jump very far to reach the conclusion that Hitler could have taken the tunnels to a waiting plane and then a U-boat to South America. It’s a known fact that other Nazi’s did exactly that.

Cencich was chosen to head this investigation based on his experience and reputation as a senior war crimes investigator for the United Nations. He led a criminal investigation in the former Yugoslavia, one of history’s largest, that involved murders, assassinations, torture, extermination and crimes against humanity.

It’s not likely that this new investigation into the possibility of Hitler’s flight to South America will change the history books or the accepted views of history pertaining to Hitler’s final days. However, according to Cencich, there should at least be a footnote regarding this possibility, because he himself initially saw the likelihood of Hitler’s escape to South America as far fetched, but he doesn’t anymore.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user: German Federal Archives

Source: New Investigation Questions Hitler’s Suicide

The Blue in the Big Blue Marble Was Here from the Beginning

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It’s amazing to think that almost three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is water. Have you ever wondered how it got here? Some scientists have theorized water was brought to the planet when space rocks made of ice smashed into the surface well after the planet was formed. Other experts argue that water has been here since earth’s creation. But no one knows for certain.

A team of international scientists have discovered new evidence which supports the latter belief – that water has been a fundamental part of planet Earth from its beginning, sometime around 4.5 billion years ago. According to the earth scientist at the University of Glasgow who lead the research team, the data suggests the majority of the planet’s water came from water molecules stuck to the surface of dust particles which eventually accreted together to form Earth. Therefore, water was brought in during the planet’s initial formation. We were a wet planet from the very beginning.

The study involved the examination of Icelandic lava and volcanic rocks taken from an island off of the Canadian coast. The rocks came from ancient sources from beneath the planet’s surface which had remained untouched since the Earth’s formation. Scientists were able to look closely inside the rocks in order to detect chemical traces of water, including its hydrogen composition. They could do this by using an advanced instrument called an ion microprobe.

Researchers were also able to determine the traces of water had a chemical composition with very little deuterium (a hydrogen isotope sometimes referred to as heavy hydrogen) present. While deuterium can be connected to a variety of planetary bodies found in space, the amount found in this water indicates it was not carried here from somewhere else. A lot can be learned about the origins of the water found on any planet by looking at the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen found in core samples. This ratio can change over time, being mixed by shifting tectonic plates is one example, but the dust grains analyzed by researchers were retrieved from deep within the earth where they had remained unaltered and able to preserve the planet’s initial Deuterium-Hydrogen ratio.

The conclusion reached by researchers is that the water molecules were part of the dust which surrounded our sun, dust particles which accumulated to help form planet Earth, pushing back the clock on the origin of our planet’s water to when all the planets of our solar system were still forming.

The researchers do not rule out the possibility that some of the water covering 70 percent of the planet today could have arrived later however, the evidence suggests enough water was already here for life to have started earlier than previously thought. The researchers are hopeful their findings will be used by astronomers to help find and better understand the other planets within the universe that may also have water. The study was published in the journal Science.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user: Muns

Source: The Blue in the Big Blue Marble Was Here from the Beginning