In magnetic field, disturbance could have enabled Auroras to appear more widespread 41,000 years ago
EVGENIYQ/ISTOCKPHOTO/GET TYTH PICTURES
About 41,000 years ago, the Earth’s magnetic field weakened to only a fraction of modern levels, led to a huge increase in radiation that hits the surface of the planet. Some scientists suggest that the Laschamps event, as it is known, could have pushed Neanderthals -ruling, while modern humans may have protected themselves using tailor -made clothing and OKer sunscreen.
The Earth’s magnetic field extends into space and acts as a protective shield against harmful radiation. The magnetic poles used with the northern and southern poles, but they are apartment -wandering due to changes in the floating exterior of the planet.
“Fluctuations in this system can lead to variations in the strength and orientation of the earth’s magnetic field, such as those observed during the Laschamps event,” said Agnit Mukhopadhyay at the University of Michigan.
By studying magnetic signatures preservatives in volcanic rocks and sediments, Mukhopadhy and his colleagues created a Detaied 3D Reconstruction of the Earth’s magnetic field during the Laschamps event.
They found evidence that the magnetic poles had changed against the equator and that the field strength was weakened to only 10 percent of today’s levels.
Auroras, created by charged particles that hit the upper atmosphere, are usually only visible closed to the poles, but this would have changed during the Laschamps event. “Auroras would have been visible in much wider areas, possibly even near the equator,” says Mukhopadhyay.
A weakened magnetic field would have enabled more solar and cosmic radiation to reach the Earth’s surface and may have changed regional climate. “These are environmental changes may have driven adaptive behavior in human populations, such as the increased use of protective clothing and OKer for UV shielding,” says Mukhopadhyay.
The researchers claim that the production of tailor -made clothing and the use of the reddish mineral ceret as sunscreen may have given Homo sapiens An advantage over Neanderthals that is believed to have an output huge this period.
“There is certainly a rough overlap with the timing between the intrusion of ancient modern people to Europe and the Laschamps event,” says Amy Mosig Way at the Australian Museum in Sydney. “But it is probably a stretch to say that modern people hate sun protection in the form of tailor -made coagulation than NenderThals, and that this contributed to their ability to travel longer than Neanderthals and their subsequent dominance of Eurasia.”
Veronica Waweru at Yale University says there is evidence that old people are using ocher around this time. E.g. Uses the Porc epic site in Ethiopia Ocher Ocher 45,000 years ago, but this was intensified 40,000 years ago, she says. They may have used it for sunscreen or other reasons, such as producing art or adhesives.
Ladislav Nejman at JCMM in the Czech Republic says we know if modern people used ocher as sunscreen. “If they did, it could be to protect them more, but not claims saved them,” he says. “People in Europe had really stacked against them at the time.”
He points out that the Laschamp’s event coincided with an extremely cold period known as the Heinrich Event 4, as well as a large volcanic outbreak in Italy called Campan Ignimbritis explosion.
“The huge benefit that Homo sapiens Had as a species compared to the Neanderthals that there are other large populations that live in Africa and otherwise, then new Homo sapiens Could move into Europe, there are events, ”says Nejman.
Topics:
- Old people/
- Earth science