The Oort cloud as inner solar system exhaust: combustion products from magma ocean methane oxidation as a source of outer solar system volatiles

The Oort cloud as inner solar system exhaust: combustion products from magma ocean methane oxidation as a source of outer solar system volatiles | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 18 February 2026 V1 Latest version Share on The Oort cloud as inner solar system exhaust: combustion products from magma ocean methane oxidation as a source of outer solar system volatiles Author : Scott Jenkins 0009-0000-6871-979X [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177145002.20150952/v1 113 views 54 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract A companion paper (Jenkins 2026, ESSOAr) demonstrates that magma ocean methane combustion is a thermodynamically inevitable source of terrestrial water. Here we note a corollary: during the magma ocean phase, inner solar system bodies at surface temperatures of 1,000-1,500°C produced water vapour, CO 2, and residual hydrocarbons as reaction products. A significant fraction of these volatiles exceeded escape velocity, particularly from the equatorial regions of rapidly rotating early planets. Ejected material migrated outward under solar radiation pressure and froze in the outer solar system. We propose that the Oort cloud and portions of the Kuiper belt include inner solar system combustion exhaust-not exclusively pristine presolar ices. This reframes cometary water delivery to Earth as partial return of material that originated from inner solar system oxidation reactions rather than primordial outer solar system condensation. The recent discovery of rocky inner solar system material in the Oort cloud (C/2014 S3) with anomalously low volatile content supports this framework. Testable predictions include isotopic signatures of thermal processing in Oort cloud comets and a correlation between cometary D/H ratios and indicators of inner solar system origin. Supplementary Material File (oort_cloud_preprint.pdf) Download 12.07 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 18 February 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords cometary volatiles d/h ratio magma ocean methane combustion oort cloud planetary outgassing water origin Authors Affiliations Scott Jenkins 0009-0000-6871-979X [email protected] View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 113 views 54 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Scott Jenkins. The Oort cloud as inner solar system exhaust: combustion products from magma ocean methane oxidation as a source of outer solar system volatiles. Authorea . 18 February 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177145002.20150952/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. 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