The late iconoclastic astrophysicist Thomas Gold, probably best known for his strong advocacy of the notion of abiogenic origins of oil and natural gas, advanced a theory of planetary formation wherein most of the Earth’s water must have been created by reduction reactions between methane and oxide minerals. In the early stages of gravitational planetary formation, constant and huge heat producing bombardements would have produced a molten condition that would have broken down CH4 into excess hydrogen and CHx. (Most commercial hydrogen production is through steam-reforming of methane.) Much of the hydrogen would have then combined with the oxygen in CO2 and mineral oxides, thus producing oceans of water and subterranean hydrocarbons chains. The present mass of methane in the gas-giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, vastly exceeds the entire mass of Mars, Earth, Venus, and tiny Mercury combined. Seems plausible a tremendous amount of methane was present in the initial accretion of material of Earth. Where is all that methane today?
One should be cautious in dismissing Gold’s uncommon perspectives. Gold was a scientific genius of the first water. In his foreword to Gold’s book The Deep Hot Biosphere, theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson stated, “Gold’s theories are always original, always important, usually controversial – and usually right.”
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