Did Earth ever resemble Saturn? A bold new theory may well challenge our perception of planetary history. A ring of debris may have surrounded our planet 466 million years ago.
This discovery emerges from the work of an international team of researchers. They studied impact craters, strangely concentrated near the equator. This unusual distribution contradicts classical geological theories.
Scientists believe that a massive asteroid grazed Earth, breaking apart under tidal forces. The remaining fragments would have coalesced to form a ring of debris, similar to those of giant planets. This ring could explain a period of intense meteoritic impacts, observed in geological records. According to the researchers, these debris would have gradually fallen to Earth over millions of years.
The influence of this ring would not have been limited to direct impacts on Earth. In addition to the immediate physical effects, it would also have caused significant climate disturbances. By partially blocking sunlight, the ring would have hindered the penetration of solar rays to Earth's surface.
This phenomenon would have resulted in a notable reduction in heat input, leading to a significant drop in global temperatures. This abrupt temperature decline could have disrupted ecosystems, altered atmospheric and oceanic currents, and caused lasting environmental upheavals, plunging the planet into an extended cooling period. This hypothesis connects to a period known as the Hirnantian glaciation. It is one of the coldest phases recorded in the last 500 million years of our planet.
Analyses also show that this ring left visible traces in the sedimentary layers of that time. Unusual amounts of meteoritic debris have been found, reinforcing this hypothesis.
The idea that cosmic events can shape not only the surface but also the climate of our planet opens up new perspectives. Have other similar rings influenced Earth's climate history?
Article author: Cédric DEPOND