Once, regarding 720 to 635 million years ago, the Ice Age world It was frozen into a ‘snowball’ that was covered in coldness. begs the question ‘How did the creatures at that time survive?’ In such a harsh environment And it is still debatable in scientific circles that actually ‘ice’ covers the whole world. Or does it leave some gaps?
A new study by Chinese and British researchers suggests that the “snowball globe” isn’t entirely frozen. But there are areas of mid-latitudes far from the equator where there are some open bodies of water that are sufficient for oxygen and light to penetrate the water. and allows complex organisms to grow
The evidence is a ‘kelp fossil’ found in the black shale in Hubei Province. central part of china This suggests that a more habitable marine environment is more than previously thought. And say that the world’s oceans are not completely frozen.
“Our study shows that at least Near the end of the Marinoan ‘Snowball World’ event (named for the period of ice cover), habitable areas extend to the mid-latitude oceans. It is much larger than previously thought,” said Huyue Song, a geologist at the University of Geosciences in China.
Fossils indicated to be a type of seaweed. has surprised scientists because, for one, it is a complex organism. Also known as eukaryotic cells. which most die in this event, and second, it relies on photosynthesis. that means There must be a point where the light shines. Or to put it simply, it can sunbathe.
“Previous research has argued that the best habitat exists only in the tropics,” said Song. “It will better explain where and how complex organisms such as multicellular algae survived,” the consequences have fueled the rapid recovery of ecosystems and societies of organisms at the end of the ice age.
“It is possible that the event These ‘snowball worlds’ might lead to mass extinction But it looks like a living thing. Including complex eukaryotes can survive,” said Shuhai Xiao, a Virginia Tech geologist and co-author of the study.
Scientists are trying to understand the processes that drive this event. But still not sure why. Many believe that the amount of warmth from the sun reaching Earth has dropped dramatically, probably due to volcanic ash that blankets the sky. cool the world This results in more snow and ice sheets expanding.
Because of this, more solar radiation is reflected back into space from the white sheet of ice. and added to make the world cooler and spiral into a snowball world for tens of millions of years
Which leads to another question: How did the world escape from such an environment? It is still something that needs further study. And understanding the ancient world’s climate will help us understand climate change that is happening today as well.
“It will provide insight into how How to survive extreme weather events? This is a topic that will become more relevant as modern climate change intensifies,” Song said.
Searched and edited by Vitit Borompichaichatkul
Illustrated by HUYUE SONG
source
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37172-x
https://www.science.org/content/article/life-may-have-survived-far-north-equator-during-snowball-earth
https://www.sciencealert.com/snowball-earth-may-not-have-been-an-endless-frozen-wasteland-following-all
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/study-explains-how-primordial-life-survived-snowball-earth-2023-04-04