A team of scientists, looking into Earth's geological history, have come across a major discovery that could reveal some of the best-kept secrets of ancient Earth.
The anomaly has been discovered in the seabed under the Pacific Ocean. The team has detected unexpected accumulation of Beryllium-10 in samples collected from the Pacific seabed.
Beryllium-10 is a rare radioactive isotope produced by cosmic rays in the atmosphere that can provide valuable insights into the Earth's geological history.
Researchers suggest that such an anomaly may be attributed to shifts in ocean currents or astrophysical events that occurred approximately 10 million years ago, hinting at the possibility of finding a natural timekeeper, promising advancement in the dating of geological archives spanning millions of years.
In a study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the team detected were nearly double what scientists had anticipated for samples dating back approximately 10 million years.
Dr Dominik Koll, a physicist at HZDR and lead author of the study, explained that Beryllium-10 has a half-life of 1.4 million years, allowing it to be used for dating geological events over millions of years.
Unlike radiocarbon dating, which is limited to samples younger than 50,000 years, Beryllium-10 can extend our understanding of Earth's history much further back in time.
The research involved analysing ferromanganese crusts retrieved from depths of several kilometres in the Pacific Ocean. These crusts, composed mainly of iron and manganese, accumulate slowly over time, providing a pristine geological archive.
The team employed Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to measure the radioactive isotope content accurately.
If further research confirms this beryllium anomaly globally, it could revolutionise geological dating methods and enhance our understanding of past environmental conditions.
The team plans to conduct additional analyses to determine whether the anomaly is due to changes in ocean currents or astrophysical events like supernovae or interstellar collisions.
Source: India Today