Looking up The MoonYou would not think it was slowly moving away to Earth from the night sky. However, we know the truth. NASA’s Apollo missions installed reflective panels onto the Moon in 1969. These panels have proven that the Moon is luminous. Current Earth distance is 3.8 cms.
If we take the Moon’s current rate at recession and project it back into time, we get a 1.5 billion years ago, collision between Earth and Moon. The Moon, however, was not formed. Around 4.5 billion people lived in the past 4.5 million years agoThis means that the current recession rate is not a good guide to the future.
With our fellow researchers from Utrecht UniversityThe University of GenevaTo gain information on the distant past of the Solar System, we used a mix of different techniques.
Recently, we discovered the ideal place to discover the long-term history and receding Moon. It’s a beautiful place! Not by studying the Moon, but rather from reading signals in old layers of rock on Earth..
The layers are what you need to read
Beautiful! Karijini National ParkSome gorges have been cut through 2.5 million year-old sediments. These sediments consist of distinctive iron formations that are called “banded iron”. Layers of iron-rich minerals and silica-rich rocksOnce widely distributed on the ocean floor, now it is found in the oldest parts Earth’s crust.
Cliff exposures Joffre FallsShows how layers of reddishbrown iron formations less than a meter in thickness are alternated by darker, more sparse horizons at regular intervals.
The darker areas are made of a softer type of rock that is more susceptible to erosion. Closer inspection of the outcrops shows that there is another, smaller-scale variation. The gorge’s rock surfaces are covered in alternating layers of white, reddish and blueish-grey rocks.
In 1972, Australian geologist A.F. Trendall asked about These layers of ancient rock reveal the origin of these recurrent patterns and scales of cyclical cycles. He suggested that the patterns could be related to climate variations in the past due to the “Milankovitch cycle.”
Changes in the climate cycle
The Milankovitch cycles Define how the Earth’s orbit changes and its orientation over time affect the distribution of sunlight received.Over many years.
The dominant Milankovitch cycles are changing every 400,000 years; 100,000 years; 41,000 years and 21,000 years respectively. These variations have a significant influence on climate for long periods of time.
The occurrence of Extreme coldOder Warm periodsAlso, WetterAlternatively, you may find a more temperate climate in your region.
These climate shifts have dramatically altered the Earth’s surface conditions such as The size of lakes. They are the reason why the The Saharan desert is periodically greenedAnd Low levels of oxygen are found in deep oceans. Milankovitch cycles are also influential. Migration and evolution of fauna and floraInclude our Your own species.
You can read the signatures of these modifications. Changes in sedimentary rocks that are cyclical.
Recorded wobbles
The distance between the Earth and the Moon is directly related to the frequency of one of the Milankovitch cycles – The climatic Precession Cycle. This cycle is caused by the Earth’s precessional motion (wobble), or the Earth’s changing orientation over time. This cycle is currently lasting 21,000 year, although it would be shorter if Earth was closer to the Moon.
This means that we can determine the distance between Earth and Moon when sediments were first deposited if we find Milankovitch cycles within old sediments.
Our research has shown that we have done previous research. Milankovitch cycles could be preserved in an old South African banded iron formationTrendall’s theory is supported by this.
Australia’s banded-iron formations were most likely formed in this way. Deposited in the same oceanSimilar to the South African rocks from 2.5 billion years ago. The cyclic variations found in Australian rocks are more visible, which allows us to examine the variations with greater detail.
Analyzing the Australian banded-iron formation revealed that there were multiple scales of cyclical variation in the rocks. These variations roughly repeat at intervals of 10 and 85 cm. These thicknesses combined with the rate at which sediments were deposited led us to conclude that these cyclical fluctuations occurred about every 11,000 years or 100,000 years.
Our analysis indicated that the 11,000-year cycle seen in the rocks was likely due to the climatic cycle. This cycle has a shorter duration than the current 21,000 year. This precession signal was then used to further analyze the rocks. Calculate the distance between Earth and Moon 2.46 billion Years ago.
We discovered that the Moon was about 60,000 kilometers closer than Earth in the year 2000 (about 1.5 times Earth’s circumference). This would reduce the time it takes to complete a day from the current 24 hours to 17 hours.
Understanding Solar System dynamics
Astronomy research has produced models. Our Solar System was formedAnd Current conditions: observations.
The study was conducted by Some research by othersIt is the only way to get real data about the evolution of our Solar System. This will prove crucial. Future models for the Earth-Moon systems.
It’s amazing how past Solar System dynamics can easily be determined using small variations in ancient sedimentary stones. One important point is missing from our understanding of the evolution and evolution of the Earth-Moon systems.
To trace the Moon’s evolution over time, we need more reliable data and new modeling methods. The research team has begun to search for additional rocks that might help us find out more about the history of our Solar System.
Joshua Davies, Professor, Sciences de la Terre et de l’atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)And Margriet Lantink, Department of Geoscience, Postdoctoral Research Associates University of Wisconsin-Madison
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