Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize geological dating. A team of researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the Australian National University has found an unexpected spike in beryllium-10 levels in Pacific seabed samples, dated around 10 million years ago.
The discovery was made using a technique called Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), which allows scientists to measure the levels of this rare radioactive isotope with extreme precision. The team analyzed ferromanganese crusts retrieved from several kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean and found that the ¹⁰Be content increased by almost twice as much as expected.
The researchers proposed two potential explanations for this anomaly: changes in ocean currents near Antarctica around 10-12 million years ago, or an astrophysical event such as a nearby supernova. Further analysis is needed to determine which explanation is correct.
This discovery has the potential to serve as a global time marker for geological dating, enabling scientists to synchronize records spanning millions of years with greater accuracy. The study’s findings have been published in Nature Communications and offer new insights into the Earth’s ancient history.
Source: https://interestingengineering.com/science/10-million-year-old-ocean-mystery