Origin and evolution of atmospheres and oceans

FEB 01, 1964

Approximately fifty physicists, earth scientists, and astronomers met April 8 and 9, 1963, at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City to discuss the origin and evolution of atmospheres and oceans. The conference, organized by H. H. Hess of Princeton University and A. G. W. Cameron of the Goddard Institute, was the fourth held at the Institute on topics which have a special bearing on the main lines of inquiry in the space program. Previous meetings have dealt with the origin of the solar system, the planet Jupiter, and radio sources. The authors are all associated with the Goddard Institute.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3051404

A. G. W. Cameron

P. J. Brancazio

N. W. Panagakos

In recent years it has become evident that the atmosphere and oceans have been produced by the outgassing of volatile materials from the earth’s interior, principally from volcanoes. In 1950 W. W. Rubey presented geological evidence indicating that sea water has progressively accumulated in this way. At about the same time, Harrison Brown pointed out that the very low abundances of the noble gases in the earth’s atmosphere constituted compelling evidence that at least the atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen were almost entirely of secondary origin, having been outgassed, possibly in different chemical form.

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More about the authors

A. G. W. Cameron, Goddard Institute.

P. J. Brancazio, Goddard Institute.

N. W. Panagakos, Goddard Institute.