(ËvÉr bÉl) adj. 1. of or consisting of words: verbal ability. 2. spoken rather than written; oral: verbal communication. 3. concerned with words only, rather than with the ideas, facts, or realities expressed: a purely verbal distinction. 4. corresponding word for word; verbatim: a verbal translation.
Because their hypothesis requires that Earth arose from water-containing materials already present in the inner solar system, it's called the wet-accretion hypothesis. Most of Earth's water has an indigenous origin, says Drake.
Video: Theories About How Oceans Were Formed. Today, more than 2/3 of Earth is covered with water, mostly in our oceans. But Earth itself is much older than our oceans. In this lesson you'll explore theories on how our oceans formed, as well as why liquid water remains on Earth even after all this time. College Earth Science: Help and Review / Science Courses.