The swelling of the world. Every 36 million years, an explosion of life occurs on the planet: now scientists understand why

A deep analysis of fossils and the geological record shows that the Earth experiences an inexplicable wave of life every 36 million years – marine life thrives as new species emerge. Scientists believe they finally understand why this “blooming of life on Earth” happened.

During the study, a team of scientists from the Sorbonne University in France discovered a cyclical change in sea level that occurred in response to a 36-million-year cycle of tectonic motion. The team found that this disrupted several terrestrial ecosystems at once, forcing individual species to fight and new species thrived, occupying vacated spaces in ecological niches.

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The study’s lead author, geologist Sla Bulil, says that tectonically speaking, the 36-million-year cycle marks a transformation of rapid and slow expansion of the seafloor. And this, in turn, requires cyclical changes in the depth of ocean basins and tectonic movement of water in the bowels of our planet.

According to Dietmar Müller, a geologist at the University of Sydney, co-author of the study, he and his colleagues found that the 36-million-year cycle led to fluctuations, with periods of intense shallow water that significantly contributed to the flooding and drying of the continents. to biodiversity.

Researchers say that when looking at the fossil record, it can be seen that biodiversity is not a fixed value at all. Evidence suggests that it fluctuated significantly over tens of millions of years, alternating with mass extinctions and the emergence of new species. But before, scientists didn’t understand what drives these cycles.

The new work by Bulila and his team is essentially a painstaking analysis of several geological datasets over the last quarter million years. Additionally, the scientists used computational modeling and modeling using tectonic imaging software called Gplates.

It’s no secret that the earth’s crust cannot be completely motionless – it consists of individual tectonic plates that are constantly in motion and recycled. The place where Earth’s tectonic plates meet the ocean is known as a subduction zone, the researchers say. This is where water is drawn deep into the mantle only to be erupted later by volcanic activity.

Tectonic movements can also cause the seafloor to expand, such as the separation of plates. The researchers note that in fact, both of these events can cause the sea to shake for a long time. During the study, scientists discovered a 36-million-year cycle in various marine life. Later, scientists realized that this cycle coincided with the cycle in the tectonic data.

Muller says the data he and his colleagues found are strong evidence that changes in sea level are actually caused by our planet’s tectonic cycles, and actually play a key role in cycles of biodiversity and ecosystem formation.

The study’s authors also point out that the duration of cycles is directly related to how tectonic plates are processed into the transforming mantle, the mobile part of our planet’s interior that looks like a slow-moving thick, hot soup. Note that this is not the only trigger that can activate Earth’s biodiversity. The researchers also found evidence for another 62-million-year cycle. It is hypothesized that it may be due to changes in carbon dioxide levels, but more additional analysis will be needed to understand its nature.

Previously Focus He wrote that the sixth mass extinction has already begun on Earth: scientists have named the first signs.