Mystery of why Earth was a giant snowball 700 million years ago has now been unravelled

In a new study, Australian geologists discovered the reason why Earth was enveloped in extreme ice, like a giant snowball, almost 700 million years ago.

This was the era when the planet was covered with glaciers, which extended from the poles to the equator.

The research was carried out by a group of scientists from the University of Sydney who tried to explain the natural temperature regulation mechanisms of Earth while emphasising the delicate balance of Earth's climate with respect to the changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

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Beneath the ice of “Snowball Earth”

Study’s lead author and ARC Future Fellow Dr Adriana Dutkiewicz speaking about the “Snowball Earth", said, “Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over. That’s just what happened about 700 million years ago; the planet was blanketed in ice from the poles to the equator and temperatures plunged. However, just what caused this has been an open question.”

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The team went on a geological field trip to the Ranges under the guidance of co-author Professor Alan Collins from the University of Adelaide. They were inspired and decided to use the University of Sydney's EarthByte computer models to look into the cause and study the prolonged era of the ice age.

The Sturtian glaciation, which was named after 19th-century European colonial explorer of central Australia Charles Sturt, spanned from 717 to 660 million years ago.

The ice age, which occurred long before the emergence of complex terrestrial plant life and dinosaurs, marks a significant period in Earth’s prehistoric timeline.

Here is what led to the ice age on Earth

A compelling theory has been shared by scientists, as per which the ice age, which is also called the Sturtian glaciation, primarily came into existence due to historically low volcanic carbon dioxide emissions which were compounded by the volcanic rock's weathering in present-day Canada, which were absorbing atmospheric CO2.

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“We now think we have cracked the mystery: historically low volcanic carbon dioxide emissions, aided by weathering of a large pile of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada; a process that absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide,” said Dr Dutkiewicz, in the study.

This glaciation, which stretches from 717 to 660 million years ago, was very significant. Itoccurred before the age of dinosaurs and complex terrestrial plant liferepresentinga pivotal epoch in the history of Earth.

Dr Dutkiewicz said, “Various factors have been considered for the initiation and conclusion of this ice age, but its remarkable duration of 57 million years has been especially baffling.”

(With inputs from agencies)