SA – 1

PROJECT

THE
FORMATI
 ON OF
EARTH

BY: VIHAAN
GRADE & SECTION: 6-E

INTRODUCTION

The formation of Earth is explained by the Nebular Hypothesis, which

suggests that our planet formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a massive
cloud of gas and dust left over after the formation of the Sun. This process
took millions of years, involving a series of cosmic events that gradually
shaped Earth into the habitable planet we know today.

AIM
The aim of studying the formation of Earth is to understand how our planet
originated from a cloud of gas and dust and gradually evolved into a
habitable world. By exploring how earth was formed, by understanding the
following stages:

-THE ORIGINS OF SOLOR SYSTEM – Its role on formation of Earth

-PLANEARY DIFFERENTIATION

-FORMATION OF THE ATMASHPERE & OCEANS

-IMPACT EVENTS

-EARLY LIFE FORMATION

WHY THIS TOPIC ?

I personal like geological history and I wondered if my religion said god
created our planet then what does our science tell us and also after learning
the age of earth and formation of soil I felt like I want to know “THE
FORMATION OF EARTH” so I researched and when I was searching and
thinking topic I thought of writing and explaining about what I liked
“Formation of EARTH” and now I am here writing what I like.

Who found the theory

The Nebular Hypothesis, which explains Earth's formation, was first proposed
by Immanuel Kant in 1755 and later refined by Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1796.
The theory suggests that the solar system, including Earth, formed from a
rotating cloud of gas and dust (solar nebula). Over time, this cloud collapsed
under gravity, leading to the formation of the Sun and planets. The idea was
developed to explain the observed structure of the solar system, including
the planets’ orbits and composition.

The theory gained strong support in the 20th century with advancements in
astronomy and physics. Scientists like Carl von Weizsäcker and Victor
Safronov further refined the model using computer simulations and
observational data from space telescopes. The discovery of exoplanetary
systems forming in nebular disks around young stars provided additional
evidence.

The Nebular Hypothesis was created to answer fundamental questions about

how Earth and other planets originated, evolved, and became habitable. It
was confirmed through studies of meteorites, planetary formation models,
and space missions observing protoplanetary disks. Today, it remains the
most accepted theory, helping scientists understand not just Earth's past,
but the formation of planets across the universe.

Formation

Solar Nebula Collapse (4.6 billion years ago)

The process of Earth’s formation began with the collapse of a vast solar
nebula, a rotating cloud of gas and cosmic dust left behind after the
formation of the Sun. The collapse was likely triggered by a shockwave
from a nearby supernova explosion, which caused disturbances in the
cloud. As the nebula collapsed under its own gravity, it started to spin
faster and flatten into a disk due to the conservation of angular
momentum. At the center of this disk, intense heat and pressure caused
hydrogen atoms to fuse, igniting the formation of the Sun. Meanwhile, the
outer regions of the disk continued to contain swirling dust and gas, which
later formed planets, moons, and asteroids. This event marked the birth
of our solar system, and it set the foundation for the eventual creation of
Earth.
Formation of Planetesimals (4.5 Billion Years
Ago)
PLANETESIMALS- are small celestial bodies (kilometers to hundreds of
kilometers wide) formed from dust and gas in the early solar system.
Through accretion, they merged to create protoplanets, eventually forming
planets. Asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt objects are remnants of
planetesimals today.

As the solar nebula continued to rotate, tiny particles of dust and gas within
the disk started to collide and stick together, forming clumps of matter due
to electrostatic forces. Over time, these clumps grew larger, forming rocky
objects called planetesimals, which were the building blocks of planets.
These planetesimals, ranging from a few kilometers to hundreds of
kilometers in size, continued to collide with one another, merging into larger
bodies. The process of gravitational attraction played a key role in pulling
more material together, forming larger and more stable protoplanets. The
young Earth was one such protoplanet, still in an unstable and molten state
due to the intense heat generated by collisions and radioactive decay.
During this phase, violent impacts and chaotic interactions among
planetesimals reshaped the solar system, clearing out excess debris and
defining planetary orbits.

Earth’s Growth by Accretion (4.5 billion years

ago)
As Earth’s protoplanetary body continued to grow, it attracted more
surrounding dust and smaller planetesimals through gravitational accretion.
Each impact released a tremendous amount of kinetic energy, which
converted into heat, keeping the young Earth in a molten state. The intense
bombardment of asteroids and comets also contributed to Earth’s early
mass, shaping its size and structure. At this stage, Earth was still extremely
hot, lacking an atmosphere or oceans. The early planet also faced violent
interactions with other celestial bodies, which sometimes resulted in the
complete destruction or merging of protoplanets. The process of accretion
lasted for millions of years, gradually stabilizing Earth's shape. Meanwhile,
the high temperatures and internal heat prevented the surface from
solidifying, keeping Earth in a semi-molten state, with constant volcanic
eruptions and widespread lava flows.

Differentiation – Formation of Core, Mantle,

and Crust (4.4 billion years ago)
As Earth's size increased, so did its internal temperature, reaching levels
where the planet’s composition started to change. This led to a process
known as planetary differentiation, where materials separated based on their
density. Heavier elements, such as iron and nickel, sank toward the center,
forming Earth's core. The lighter silicate minerals floated toward the surface,
forming the mantle and the crust. This internal differentiation gave Earth its
layered structure, which remains to this day. The formation of the iron core
also generated Earth's magnetic field, which played a crucial role in shielding
the planet from solar radiation. Despite this progress in Earth's structural
formation, the surface remained highly unstable and volcanically active, with
continuous eruptions shaping the planet’s early landscape.

Formation of the Moon (4.4 to 4.3 billion

years ago)
One of the most significant events in Earth's early history was the formation
of the Moon, which is best explained by the Giant Impact Hypothesis.
According to this theory, a Mars-sized protoplanet called Theia collided with
the young Earth in a catastrophic impact. This collision ejected an enormous
amount of debris into space, which, over time, coalesced under gravity to
form the Moon. This impact also significantly tilted Earth's rotational axis,
which is why Earth has seasons. The newly formed Moon initially orbited
much closer to Earth and gradually moved outward due to tidal interactions.
The impact further heated Earth's surface, causing widespread melting and
reshaping of the crust. Despite this violent beginning, the presence of the
Moon would later stabilize Earth's axial tilt, helping regulate the planet’s
climate and ocean tides.
Formation of the Atmosphere and Oceans
(4.3 to 3.8 billion years ago)
After the Moon-forming impact, Earth's surface remained extremely hot,
covered in volcanic activity and constant asteroid bombardments. These
volcanoes released gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen, and
methane, forming Earth's first primitive atmosphere. This early atmosphere
was vastly different from the one we have today, as it lacked oxygen and
was primarily composed of greenhouse gases. As Earth cooled over millions
of years, the water vapor in the atmosphere condensed into rain, leading to
intense and continuous rainfall that lasted thousands of years. These rains
eventually filled low-lying areas, forming the first oceans. The presence of
liquid water was a major turning point in Earth's history, as it set the stage
for chemical reactions that would later lead to the origin of life.

First Life Forms Appear (~3.8 billion years

ago)
With stable oceans in place, Earth’s environment became more suitable for
the emergence of life. Around 3.8 billion years ago, the first single-celled
organisms appeared in the oceans. These primitive life forms, most likely
bacteria and archaea, thrived in the mineral-rich waters. Some of these
microbes, known as cyanobacteria, developed the ability to perform
photosynthesis, a process that produced oxygen as a byproduct. Over
millions of years, the gradual release of oxygen into the atmosphere led to
the formation of the ozone layer, which protected the planet from harmful
ultraviolet radiation. This marked a crucial step in Earth's transformation,
paving the way for more complex life forms to evolve in the billions of years
that followed.

Conclusion
The formation of Earth was a long and complex process that took millions of
years, starting from a cloud of gas and dust and evolving into a dynamic, life-
supporting planet. Through a series of cosmic events—including nebular
collapse, planetesimal formation, accretion, differentiation, and the Moon-
forming impact—Earth transformed from a molten protoplanet into a layered,
geologically active world. The creation of Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and
early life forms set the stage for the planet’s eventual biodiversity and
human civilization. Even today, Earth remains a constantly evolving system,
influenced by plate tectonics, climate changes, and biological interactions.
Understanding its formation not only helps us appreciate the uniqueness of
our planet but also provides insights into the potential for life on other
planets. Scientists continue to study Earth's origins using geological
evidence, space missions, and observations of distant planetary systems,
enhancing our knowledge of how planets form and evolve across the
universe.

THAN
K YOU