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Earth may have had a jumbo ring of space rocks surrounding it , similar to those around Saturn , which could have led to disorderly meteorite strikes on our satellite ’s surface , new research paint a picture .
The hypothesized ring may have formed close to 466 million year ago and was the remains of a gigantic asteroid drive apart by Earth ’s tidal force out after passing our planet’sRoche limit .
An artist’s impression of Earth and its ancient asteroid ring.
cast a shadow across Earth ’s equator , the pack may have put up to a global chilling event by blocking sun , while bombard the aerofoil with meteorites . The researchers publish their findings Sept. 16 in the journalEarth and Planetary Science Letters .
" Over millions of age , material from this anchor ring gradually fell to Earth , creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological track record , " study lead authorAndy Tomkins , a professor of planetary science at Monash University in Australia , said in a statement . " We also see that layers in aqueous careen from this period contain extraordinary measure of meteorite dust . "
The scientists arrived at the startling theory by study a full stop in Earth ’s chronicle known as the Ordovician ( 485 million to 443 million years ago ) . The Ordovician was a tumultuous time for our planet — it was one of the stale periods in the last 500 million twelvemonth and image a dramatic uptick in the charge per unit of meteorite striking Earth .
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To enquire what could have get these effects , the scientists mapped the position of 21 Ordovician asteroid impingement Crater , which bring out that all the impacts hap within 30 degree of Earth ’s equator .
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As 70 % of Earth ’s continental crust was located outside this region , the research worker forecast that the chance of this happening by probability was the same as tossing a three - sided die 21 times and getting the same issue 21 multiplication .
With these highly improbable odds in psyche , the investigator settled on a hypothesis that could explain both the equatorial work stoppage and planet ’s cooling — a band , the remnants of a smashed - up asteroid , encircling Earth at the equator .
More evidence is demand to hold the hypothesis , but the ancient doughnut theory could explain many vista of Earth ’s chronicle , especially if rings appeared more than once above our satellite before being slowly erased as their asteroid were go down on down by its soberness , the researchers tell .
" The melodic theme that a halo organisation could have influenced global temperatures adds a new layer of complexness to our apprehension of how surplus - sublunary events may have shaped Earth ’s climate , " Tomkins said .
