Buzz
This image from a satellite captures Europe and Africa with cloud coverage. Scientists have confirmed that Earth experiences a 'pulse' every 27.5 million years. Planet Observer/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesGeologists might seem to be simply studying ancient rocks, and occasionally very ancient ones. However, Earth science researchers analyze the geological history of our planet to better understand our past and predict what could come next for life on Earth.
In a study published in Geoscience Frontiers in November 2021, researchers from New York and California identified a critical fact about our planet that holds major consequences: Earth has a 'pulse'—regular peaks in geological activity. They traced this pulse in part through mass extinctions, a subject we all want to better understand, considering this is the only planet we currently call home.
A clickable span element toggles the visibility of page 1 with a rotation effect on the accompanying icon. The text displayed inside the span reads, "Taking Earth's Pulse."
This research is not groundbreaking in itself, but rather a more precise measurement of an age-old question. Utilizing advanced technology, the study analyzed 89 geologic events from the past 260 million years, applying a technique known as Fourier analysis to detect patterns in the data’s frequency and consistency.
Upon analyzing the data, a clear pattern emerged, aligning with previous studies. Out of the 89 geologic events—ranging from marine and non-marine extinctions, ocean-anoxic events, and sea-level fluctuations to continental flood-basalt eruptions and intra-plate magmatism—the researchers identified 10 distinct clusters, occurring roughly every 27.5 million years.
Researchers from NYU discovered that major global geologic events are often grouped into 10 clusters, each separated by approximately 27.5 million years. These events appear in peaks or pulses, as noted in the work of Rampino et al., published in Geoscience Frontiers.Previous studies suggested that Earth's pulses occurred every 26.4 to 30 million years. This research refines that estimate further.
A span element allows toggling the visibility of page 2. When clicked, an icon rotates, and the text inside the span reads, "The Causes are Still Unknown."
Although it is intriguing to find further evidence supporting a consistent rhythm in Earth's cycles of activity and life, this study does not bring us any closer to understanding the true cause of Earth's pulse.
The study’s authors propose a few potential explanations. One idea involves internal forces within Earth, such as magma and tectonic activity, as well as climate change, influencing the cyclical pattern. Other suggestions focus on the cyclical changes in Earth's orbital cycles and the motion of our solar system within the Milky Way, occurring roughly every 30 million years.
Regardless of the underlying cause, this study confirms the data: approximately every 27.5 million years, we can expect a spike in geologic activity, often leading to mass extinctions.
A clickable span element toggles the visibility of page 3 with a rotation effect on the icon. The text inside the span reads, "The Next One is Coming Eventually."
Don’t worry, 27.5 million years is an enormous span of time for humanity. While it’s brief on the scale of planetary history, homo sapiens is only about 200,000 years old as a species – that’s less than 1 percent of the duration of each pulse.
Currently, we are in between pulses. The study suggests the next pulse will occur roughly 20 million years from now. To put that into perspective, dinosaurs went extinct around 65 million years ago, while modern species like bears, crows, and whales were just beginning to emerge on the evolutionary timeline 20 million years ago.
