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Every 36 million years, there is an explosion of life on Earth.
Every 36 million years, in Earth the diversity of marine life explodes, and recent research indicates that the indirect cause is tectonic heating.
A thorough examination of the fossil and geological record demonstrates that the sea level is constantly fluctuating due to a tectonic movement cycle that lasts 36 million years.
This, according to a team led by French geologist Slah Boulila of Sorbonne University, upsets a number of ecosystems, making it difficult for many species to survive and creating opportunities for others to flourish in the resulting ecological niches.
According to geoscientist Dietmar Müller of the University of Sydney, “the 36-million-year cycle marks alterations between faster and slower seafloor spreading, leading to cyclical depth changes in ocean basins and the tectonic transfer of water into the deep Earth.”
“These in turn have led to fluctuations in the flooding and drying up of continents, with periods of extensive shallow seas fostering biodiversity.”
Examining the fossil record closely reveals that biodiversity is not a pleasant, even constant. Rather, it exhibits significant fluctuations across tens of millions of years, interspersed with instances of extinction and the emergence of novel species.
The driving force behind these shifts—whether each incident stands alone or if there’s a deeper mechanism connecting them—has not been made evident.
Boulila and colleagues’ research involved a laborious examination of several geological datasets spanning the previous 250 million years, along with computer simulations and modeling using a program called GPlates for tectonic visualization.
The crust of Earth is never motionless. It is made up of distinct tectonic plates that are always shifting and recycling. Subduction zones are locations where the tectonic plates collide beneath the ocean; In these areas, water is drawn deeply beneath the mantle and later released by volcanic activity.
Furthermore, as plates drift apart, tectonic action may cause the seabed to spread. Over extended periods of time, fluctuations in the sea level can be caused by either of these factors.
The researchers discovered a 36 million-year cycle in the richness of marine life using their data and models. and at the same time period, a cycle in the tectonic, sea-level, and large-scale rock layer data was also found.
According to them, these results provide strong evidence that the tectonic cycles of Earth influence sea level variations, which in turn influence biodiversity cycles and the structure of ecosystems.
Müller states that this finding casts doubt on earlier theories on the reasons behind long-term species changes.
“The cycles are 36 million years long because of regular patterns in how tectonic plates are recycled into the convecting mantle, the mobile part of the deep Earth, similar to hot, thick soup in pot, that moves slowly.”
Throughout Earth’s history, various causes have been known to drive biodiversity. For instance, the researchers discovered proof of a 62 million-year cycle in biodiversity.
The researchers indicate that more research is necessary, but they believe that variations in carbon dioxide levels may have been the cause of this.
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An Explosion of Life Happens on Earth Every 36 Million Years. Now We Know Why. (msn.com)
According to them, these results provide strong evidence that the tectonic cycles of Earth influence sea level variations, which in turn influence biodiversity cycles and the structure of ecosystems.
According to them, these results provide strong evidence that the tectonic cycles of Earth influence sea level variations, which in turn influence biodiversity cycles and the structure of ecosystems.
According to them, these results provide strong evidence that the tectonic cycles of Earth influence sea level variations, which in turn influence biodiversity cycles and the structure of ecosystems.
According to them, these results provide strong evidence that the tectonic cycles of Earth influence sea level variations, which in turn influence biodiversity cycles and the structure of ecosystems.