Ancient swamp kauri tree rings have shed light on crucial changes to the Earth s atmosphere, which may have led to mass extinction of megafauna and the beginning of cave art.
The Adams Event would have caused frequent and dazzling light shows in the sky - similar to the Northern and Southern Lights.
Photo: 123RF
Scientists from NIWA, the University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), the South Australian Museum, and the University of Waikato, have been working together on the study.
They looked at what was happening just before the event known as the Laschamp Excursion - the last time when the magnetic poles switched (north became south, south became north). This period lasted about 800 years, before the poles then flipped back.
The reversal of Earth s magnetic poles could have triggered a raft of environmental changes, solar storms and the extinction of the Neanderthals, according to a new study.
Earth due another magnetic disaster that wiped out Neanderthals, scientists warn
Scientists say the disaster happened 42,000 years ago when Earth s magnetic poles flipped, exposing it to cosmic radiation from space. They suggested something is on the way
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Some 42,000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic poles switched, causing the magnetic field around the planet to temporarily collapse. According to a new study, the shift was apocalyptic, sparking major climate shifts filling the skies with electrical storms, widespread auroras, and cosmic radiation. The researchers even argue these major climate shifts and may have had a decisive role in the extinction of the Neanderthals and the giant megafauna that once roamed Australia.
It’s easy to assume that Earth’s magnetic poles are stable north is north and south is south. However, the magnetic poles can wander several kilometers every year, and based on geological records, it appears that Earth is long overdue for a total pole shift. This process is generally thought to be guided by the movement of the magnetic blobs of molten material swirling around the planet s interior.