Cosmic dust fertilization of glacial prebiotic chemistry on early Earth

Earth's surface lacks bioessential elements crucial for prebiotic chemistry, unlike extraterrestrial objects. This study investigates if cosmic dust, constantly accreting onto Earth, could have concentrated in specific environments to fertilize prebiotic reactions. Using empirical data and dynamical simulations, the research demonstrates that localized sedimentary deposits of cosmic dust, particularly in glacial settings forming cryoconite, could have accumulated on early Earth. This challenges the notion that cosmic dust is insufficient for prebiotic chemistry, suggesting it plausibly fertilized early life.

Craig R. Walton, Jessica K. Rigley, Alexander Lipp, Robert Law, Martin D. Suttle, Maria Schönbächler, Mark Wyatt, Oliver Shorttle