In the story of how our mother Earth was formed there are a lot of undiscovered chapters; one of them being the beginning of oceans. The origin of the oceans has puzzled many people for a long time and it’s interesting that the issue has not been completely settled. The biblical view, expressed in the chapter Genesis, was the leading theory until last century, when other theories began to surface as a result of scientific knowledge and a new age.

How old are the oceans? We don’t know how old exactly, but examination of the ocean floor in order to find out continues. The bottom of the ocean, at an average depth of 3600 metres, is covered with slime. The slime is deep ocean sediment from skeletons of small sea animals. This slime, called “red clay” consists of small skeletons of sea animals, covered by plants and volcanic ashes. As a result of continuing research, scientists are piecing together evidence of the composition of Earth's ancient atmosphere and its temperature. Along with it they are offering us the answer to how our atmosphere, climate and oceans were formed.

It seems that oceans were not here when the Earth was made. Perhaps in the beginning they were clouds of steam which changed into the water when the Earth cooled. Scientists estimate from which period oceans were originated according to the sum of mineral salts from oceans. According to them, oceans are between 500 million and 1000 million years old.
Some scientists are almost sure that in the past most of the Earth was covered by oceans. Some parts of the Earth were covered by water for many years. However, we do not know if the beds of oceans were ever dry or if the land, as we know it today, was under some deep ocean.

There are some theories which include debris (leftovers from an explosion of supernova in our galaxy from space), formed continents and a crust of oceans. Water to fill these oceans came from rain. Then, there is the theory of co-evolution. In this theory our planet was a live organism and there was the Archean sea, which evaporated and combined with gases forming heavy rain. As a result, oceans were made.

There is also plenty of evidence that certain parts of the Earth were part of some shallow sea. For example, all limestones, slates and deserts, which can be found on the Earth today, were sedimented in water.  Limestone from England, Texas and Kansas were made at the bottom of the ocean and formed from sea shells and small organisms that sank.