Origin of the Earth: Modern Theories

The modern theories of the Earth mainly focused on the formation of the universe. The formation process of the universe will automatically provide the origin of the Earth. “The modern theory of the origin of the earth” is also known as the big bang theory. In this topic, the concept of the “modern theory” with “the origin of the earth” is going to be discussed. The disk instability theory is also going to be discussed to analyse the origin of the earth. The “big bang theory” and “Nebular Hypothesis” are also going to elaborate on this context. A few FAQs also will be discussed for a better understanding of the topics.

Modern Theories regarding the Origin of the Earth

Modern theories focused on the origin or formation of the universe. The early theories mainly provided information about the evolution process of the earth and planets with other heavenly bodies. The modern theory of the origin of the earth is mainly associated with the big bang theory. According to modern theory, all matters of the universe or the matters forming the universe were condensed in a tiny small point. The small point consists of a small volume but it has infinite temperature and infinite density. The most widely accepted modern theory regarding the origin of the earth is the “Big Bang Theory”.  It shows how the universe grows from an atom-sized point by which the whole universe lies. The most accepted hypothesis of “planetary formation” is the “nebular Hypothesis” and the hypothesis considers the gravitational collapse of a huge molecular cloud.

The Disk Instability Theory

The “Disk Stability Theory” explains the process in which a massive sized disk cools down rapidly and causes the production of fragments that are self-gravitating clumps. This theory is less popular but it is still a plausible explanation. According to the theory, in the very early stages of the formation of the proto–planetary disk, a rapid cooling occurred in the order of orbital timescale. The fragments then started to condense and formed the different heavenly bodies and planets. This theory provided a brief explanation of the ‘planet formation’ that may occur in a too-short frame of time. This theory can also be utilised to describe the presence of large planets made of gases that are close or maybe very far from the star. A disk could quickly cool down enough to ‘fragment’ on an ‘orbital scale’. This could be only possible when there is a very large “orbital radius”.

Big Bang Theory regarding Earth’s Origin

The “big bang theory” is the most famous theory regarding the origin of the earth. In 1931, Belgian cosmologists came up with the big bang theory. The theory says that all the matter that made the universe remained at a single point or location. The volume of that point was considered as smaller as an atom but that atom-sized point is considered to have infinite density and unlimited temperature. According to the theory, the point was initially condensed into a single particle then it began to expand again with a huge explosion. The explosion gave birth to the nebula and the nebula turned into stars and planets. The community of scientists unanimously believes that the age of the universe is around 13.7 billion years. 

Nebular Hypothesis of Earth’s Origin  

The nebular hypothesis is the theory that refers to the spinning clouds of dust that are made of light elements. The springing cloud is considered a Nebula and the Nebula becomes a solar system and contains stars and planets revolving around the stars. As per the construction of the solar system, the nebular clouds of scattered particles are developed in different temperature zones. The temperature was very high close to the centre or close to the stars which allowed the condensation of the metal and silicate to a high temperature. Having more distance from the sun the temperature being low allows the condensation of the gases, which are lighter. The difference in temperature resulted in the inner planets becoming rocky and the outer planets becoming the gaseous planets. 

Conclusion

The above topic deals with the modern theories of the origin of the earth. In this topic, the concepts of the different modern theories regarding the earth’s origin have been discussed in detail. The   “Disk Instability Theory” has also been elaborated to understand the formation of planets. The “Big Bang Theory” has also been analyzed in this context. The “Nebular Hypothesis of earth’s” origin has also been analyzed. At last, a few FAQs have been discussed for a better understanding of the topic.