Produced by: Tarun Mishra
A recent study reveals that Earth's rotation significantly slowed down during two critical periods in its history, with one coinciding with the largest mass extinction event.
The research, led by Ma Chao from the Institute of Sedimentary Geology at Chengdu University of Technology, involved international collaboration with French, German, and Irish scientists.
The study found two notable periods of rapid deceleration in Earth's rotation: between 650 and 500 million years ago, and between 350 and 280 million years ago.
The first period of deceleration aligns with the Cambrian explosion, a time of rapid diversification of complex life forms. This period saw significant changes in ocean composition, which may have made the seas more habitable.
The second period of deceleration corresponds with the Permian-Triassic extinction event, also known as the "Great Dying," which caused the extinction of approximately 90% of life on Earth.
The study suggests that changes in Earth’s rotation could have impacted marine ecosystems, potentially influencing the early evolution of life in the oceans.
A new study confirms that Earth's inner core has been rotating more slowly since 2010. This unusual "backtracking" could potentially affect the planet's overall rotation, leading to a slight increase in the length of our days.
The deceleration is attributed to variations in the Earth-moon distance, which affects tidal friction and, consequently, Earth's rotational speed.
The findings are important for understanding the Earth's evolutionary history and exploring how changes in rotation might influence climate and environmental dynamics over geological time scales.