Earth's atmosphere resulted from the impact of icy planetesimals that originated in the outer regions of the Solar System.

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This hypothesis is known as the "Late Veneer" hypothesis and is widely accepted by scientists. It suggests that most of Earth's atmosphere was formed by the outgassing of volcanoes, but that the final composition was influenced by the impact of icy planetesimals that brought water and volatile elements like carbon and nitrogen to the planet.

Earth's Atmosphere Resulted from the Impact of Icy Planetesimals That