BORDEAUX, FRANCE — A study published in the journal Icarus, suggest that Earth's water is a "simple byproduct" of giant planet growth. <br /> <br />During the formation of gas giants such as Saturn or Jupiter, they enter a period of rapid growth. This destabilized nearby water-rich space rocks known as planetesimals[e], bringing them into the planetary orbit. <br /> <br />Next, the gravity there would have propelled these to the inner or outer solar system. <br />The researchers speculate some were sent in an inward direction, toward some early form of Earth and seeded it with water.
