Scientists think they have discovered why strange creatures appeared on Earth 500 million years ago.

Most people know that their current world would look very different than it would if they went back in time 500 million years ago. However, many people are not aware that there will also be internal changes on the planet.

More recently, scientists have shown that Earth’s magnetic field was significantly weaker 500 million years ago than it is now. They also think that life as we know it now arose from a weak field.

The Earth’s Magnetic Field Is Extremely Important

To understand this phenomenon and the theory behind it, it is important to first understand the nature of the magnetic field and how it affects the planet.

From the Earth’s inner core, a magnetic fieldradiates into space. The planet’s atmosphere, oceans, and chemical composition are all affected. Intensity—or lack thereof—can significantly change how Earth feels, looks, and functions. Its power may vary.

The History of Earth’s Magnetic Field

Earth’s magnetic field has undergone many transformations over its 4.5 billion year history, as scientists have long known.

By examining crystals preserved in rocks, scientists have been able to examine how the Earth’s magnetic field has changed over time.

Rocks in South Africa Tell the History of Earth

Researchers and scientists now have a better understanding of Earth’s history and the evolution of the planet’s magnetic field over millions of years thanks to the South African rock collection.

Their research suggests that the field is as powerful now as it was two billion years ago. Moreover, they determined from Brazilian rocks that it is 30 times weaker than the one that existed 591 million years ago.

500 Million Years Ago the Magnetic Field Almost Collapsed

After years of intensive investigation and examination of other older rocks, scientists have been able to determine that the magnetic field was on the verge of collapse about 500 million years ago.

According to a study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, the Earth’s deep core was melted by extreme heat half a billion years ago. As a result, changes in the strength of the magnetic field cause the planet’s air and water to have different compositions and temperatures.

Professor Speaks on Weakened Magnetic Field

In an interview with CNN, John Tarduno, senior author of the new study and professor of geophysics at the University of Rochester in New York, discussed the weak magnetic field.

“However, there was a dramatic period in the evolution of the deep Earth during the Ediacaran when the processes that generated the magnetic field became so ineffective over billions of years that the field almost collapsed,” he said.

The Formation of Earth’s Core

When the magnetic field is weak, the solar wind can enter the Earth’s atmosphere and change the chemical composition of the atmosphere because it prevents them from doing so.

The steady weakening of the planet’s magnetic field also revealed to geologists the long-standing puzzle of how Earth’s inner core formed.

What Happened on Earth Creature?

According to Shuhai Jiao, co-author of the paper, the planet’s magnetic field was weak, which is why things happened there.

The atmosphere is held by the Earth’s magnetosphere, which protects it from the solar wind. Therefore, light gases like hydrogen would escape from the Earth’s atmosphere due to the weak magnetosphere, according to Geo.

Less Hydrogen Meant More Oxygen

That’s when the exciting part begins. If there was less hydrogen in the atmosphere, the amount of oxygen in the air and water would have increased.

Scientists now think that this event may have directly contributed to the current state of life development.

Before the Change in the Magnetic Field

Before the Earth’s magnetic field weakened to the point of collapse, the majority of life on Earth consisted of single-celled animals and other small species.

These animals were the only life on Earth for almost a billion years. That is, until a new type of creature appeared 500 million years ago.

read | Mystery of the Sphinx: Scientists Uncover Fascinating Origin Story

read | 3 scientific findings that indicate that God was the creator of the universe

---