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A giant extraterrestrial 'wave' hit Earth 14 million years ago — and may have dramatically altered our planet's climate
- A study suggests that around 14 million years ago, our solar system passed through a dense, star-forming region in the direction of the constellation Orion, which may have impacted Earth's climate.
- This region, named the Radcliffe Wave, could have increased the flow of interstellar dust to Earth, coinciding with Earth's transition to a cooler climate and the expansion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
- Spotting evidence of this event, such as a spike in the abundance of iron-60, in Earth's geological record could support the hypothesis.
- Research indicates our solar system was closest to the Orion region and dust-heavy star clusters around 14 million years ago.
- Simulations suggest that the dense region may have blocked some of the sun's radiation, contributing to planet-wide cooling during Earth's 'Middle Miocene' transition.
- The study's claim of galactic influences on Earth's climate is intriguing, but further assessments are needed to evaluate its likelihood.
- Although there are challenges in detecting signals from events 14 million years ago, advances in instrumentation and analysis techniques could aid future investigations.
- Astronomers and geologists may focus on potential solar-system-wide evidence, such as deep moon craters, to further explore the effects of extraterrestrial influences.
- Understanding the impact of extraterrestrial events on Earth's climate could shed light on past climatic shifts and help in deciphering the complexities of current climate change processes.
- The study highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration across sciences to investigate the possible interaction between cosmic events and Earth's climate history.
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