In this talk, Prof. Ingo Leya will present a possible scenario for the origin of the Earth’s volatile elements, including water, based on the chemical composition of silicate Earth. Starting from reduced and extremely dry proto-Earth after accretion, Prof. Leya will outline the key components and processes required not only to explain the present-day chemical composition of our planet but also the origin of its water.

Prof. Ingo Leya will argue that most of the Earth’s water was delivered during the Moon-forming impact, while approximately 10% was added later through the so-called late veneer.

Short CV of Prof. Dr. Ingo Leya
From 1987-1993, Prof. Ingo Leya studied physics at the University of Hannover, completing my Diploma (now Master) in 1993. Prof. Leya continued with a PhD at the Center for Radiation Protection and Radioecology (Hannover), where his research focused on nuclear reactions in meteorites. Supported by funding from the German Science Foundation (DFG), Prof. Leya moved to ETH Zürich for a two-year PostDoc position at the Institute of Isotope Geology and Mineral Resources. Prof. Leya continued to stay in Zürich until 2004, when he moved to the University of Bern, where he was appointed Professor in 2013.