[vanderZwan]

Well, as far as I understand it's pretty much a given that it happened underwater or underground, to protect against cosmic radiation and other harsh conditions averse to lifeg so that's not really a "what if" unless you meant something else than I think you did.

Mind you, "soil" as we know it did not exist before life was there to create it. Geology as it exists on Earth does not exist on lifeless planets.

[mjanx123]

Water is also averse to emergence of life chemistry, despite the mature life depending on it, it hydrolyzes and damages the fragile structures. It is the same situation as with oxygen in principle.