Researchers Provide Most Detailed and Complete Record Yet of Earth's Last Magnetic Reversal
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for nutherguy:
Researchers provide most detailed and complete record yet of Earth's last magnetic reversal:
Earth's magnetic fields typically switch every 200 to 300 millennia. Yet, the planet has remained steady for more than twice that now, with the last magnetic reversal occurring about 773,000 years ago. A team of researchers based in Japan now has a better understanding of the geophysical events leading up to the switch and how Earth has responded since then.
The researchers published their results [...] in the Progress in Earth and Planetary Science journal.
[...] Such reversals swap the magnetic poles of the planet, which could have implications for plant and animal life. Such extrapolation to life, including humans and our ancestors, depends on the duration of the magnetic flip.
[...] Previous studies by other researchers examined samples taken from lava flows, which offer a good snapshot of moments in geophysical history, according to Haneda.
"However, lava sequences cannot provide continuous paleomagnetic records due to the nature of sporadic eruptions," Haneda said.
Journal Reference:
Yuki Haneda, Makoto Okada, Yusuke Suganuma, et al. A full sequence of the Matuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic reversal in the Chiba composite section, Central Japan [open], Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (DOI: 10.1186/s40645-020-00354-y)
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.