Scientists studying the Pacific Ocean have made a surprising discovery that could shift our understanding of cosmic phenomena affecting Earth. A group of researchers found twice as much Beryllium-10 in the seabed than expected, dating back 10 million years.
Beryllium-10 is a radioactive isotope used to date objects millions of years old due to its half-life of 1.4 million years. The unexpected increase in this isotope has sparked two theories: a massive shift in ocean currents or an unknown astrophysical event.
Researchers Dominik Koll and his team suggest that the anomaly could be caused by either a significant change in ocean circulation patterns or an unusual cosmic event. They believe that verifying these hypotheses requires further investigation into ferromanganese crusts and deep-ocean sediments.
The discovery highlights the need for synchronizing different archives such as ice cores, tree-rings, and ferromanganese crusts to provide accurate climate data and understand Earth’s past ecosystem changes.
Source: https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/ocean-floor-anomaly-could-provide-a-new-way-to-mark-time