In a new study, scientists have found that the crashing of an atmospheric comet in the atmosphere of Earth set the planet on fire nearly 12,000 years ago.
The geological history of our planet is hidden in the layers of dirt and stone where lies the evidence of celestial impacts, ancient cultures and climatic shifts.
Approximately 12,800 years ago, the Earth witnessed extreme environmental change during the Younger Dryas period and the planet even caught fire due to the crashing of a comet.
During this period, the planet witnessed a significant climatic shift which abruptly ended a warming trend and started a near-glacial period.
According to the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, a cosmic airburst triggered this cooling event when a fragmented comet crashed into the atmosphere of the Earth nearly 12,800 years ago.
Scientists find evidence of Younger Dryas airburst
In a new study, the scientists have found more evidence which supports this hypothesis.
They have discovered the traces of cosmic airbursts which were scattered across various sites in the eastern United States – which covers Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina.
In the new evidence, they have found materials indicative of the force and temperature which were part of such an event – like platinum, microspherules, melt glass, and shock-fractured quartz.
“What we’ve found is that the pressures and temperatures were not characteristic of major crater-forming impacts but were consistent with so-called ‘touchdown’ airbursts that don’t form much in the way of craters,” said UC Santa Barbara Professor James Kennett, who headed the study.
What was the Younger Dryas period?
To the climate researchers, the Younger Dryas has great importance. It provides them with valuable insights into the rapid changes which are possible to occur in the climate system of Earth.
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The period also illustrates the interconnectedness of our terrestrial, atmospheric and oceanic systems.
The Younger Dryas also shows the sudden return of icy atmosphere on Earth’s surface which disrupts the gentle warming of the climate on Earth after the last Ice Age. It is said that this icy condition remained from 12,900 to 11,700 years ago.
This abrupt climatic change also affected the global vegetation layouts and led to the extinction of various large animal species.
The end of the Younger Dryas period also came as suddenly as it started as the temperatures in Greenland went up by 10°C in just ten years.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
