Earth's Magnetic Field 'Nearly Collapsed' Once
Image: Pixabay
3 May 2024
Earth's magnetic field nearly collapsed some 590 million years ago, a new research paper has said
Image: Unsplash
But it wasn't a biological catastrophe, in fact it is associated with blossoming of life on planet
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The study said that bizarre drop in the strength of the magnetic field boosted oxygen levels, creating prime conditions for early life to blossom
Image: Pixabay
Life first evolved on Earth around 3.7 billion years ago, existing as only very simple single-celled organisms
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The more complex and multicellular life evolved much later, around 1.7 billion years ago
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Animals appeared around 580 million years ago, and were mostly soft-bodied jellyfish-like creatures
Image: Pixabay
Researchers said they began to diversify due to the sudden jump in oxygen level in atmosphere and oceans
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The study is based on the analysis of magnetic signatures in rocks from South Africa that formed billions of years ago
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The contained crystals of tiny magnetic minerals, which preserve the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field as they form
Image: Pexels
They combined the result with a 2019 Canadian study to arrive at the conclusion
Image: Pixabay
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