SPACE — New research shows Mars’ gravitational pull on Earth has affected the climate on our planet. Geological evidence dating back more than 65 million years and taken from hundreds of locations around the world shows that deep ocean currents have repeatedly changed periods, between being stronger or weaker.
This event occurs every 2.4 million years and is known as the great astronomical cycle. Stronger currents, known as giant whirlpools, may reach the seabed in the deepest part of the ocean, known as the Abyss.
The strong currents then erode much of the sediment that accumulated during the calmer periods of the cycle. The research has been published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
The researchers found that this cycle coincided with the time of gravitational interaction between Earth and Mars, when the two planets orbited the sun. “The gravitational fields of the planets in the solar system interfere with each other and that interaction, called resonance, changes a planet’s eccentricity, a measure of how close its orbit is to a circle,” said study co-author Dietmar Muller. He is a professor of geophysics at the University of Sydney.
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Because of that resonance, Earth is pulled slightly closer to the Sun by Mars’ gravitational pull. This means that our planet was exposed to more solar radiation and therefore had a warmer climate, before regressing again, over a period of 2.4 million years.
The researchers used satellite data to map sediment accumulation on the sea floor over tens of millions of years. They discovered gaps in the geological record where sediment stopped accumulating according to astronomical cycles. bThey believe this may have been caused by stronger ocean currents caused by warmer weather and Mars’ gravitational influence on Earth.
These findings support the idea that the Red Planet influences the climate on Earth, as does the theory of passing stars and other astronomical objects. However, the observed warming effects are not related to global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
While still speculative, the authors emphasize that their findings suggest the cycle may help maintain periodic deep-ocean currents if global warming reduces these currents. “We know there are at least two separate mechanisms that contribute to the strong mixing of deep water in the ocean,” Müller said.
One of those mechanisms is known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). It acts as an oceanic ‘conveyor belt’, carrying warm water from the tropics to the northern hemisphere, and in the process drawing heat deep into the ocean.
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Some scientists predict the AMOC will likely collapse in the next few decades. This means that water distribution will stop, and the climate will be chaotic.
If that happens, the ventilation caused by deep ocean eddies from the new research might provide benefits. Lead study author and sedimentologist at the University of Sydney, Adriana Dutkiewicz, said 65 million years of deep ocean data showed warmer oceans had stronger deep circulation.
“This has the potential to keep the oceans from being flooded even if the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation slows or stops altogether,” he said. Source: Live Science
2024-03-13 10:14:00
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