An ancient Agathis australis tree with rings that document the near-reversal of Earth’s magnetic field has been discovered on New Zealand’s north island. The tree, which measures 8 feet in diameter and 65 feet in length, was found buried under 26 feet of soil. Carbon dating shows that the tree was alive for 1,500 years and lived between 41,000 and 42,500 years ago. By @ilovetheuniverse.com.
The tree’s rings show a complete record of the near-reversal of Earth’s magnetic field. This is the first time that a tree documenting the full event has ever been found. Reversals in our planet’s magnetic field have been linked to extinction events. Scientists studying the tree say that it provides insight into what we might expect the next time we experience a reversal of Earth’s magnetic field.
NASA warned earlier this year that the magnetic “north pole” is speeding toward Russia at 30 miles per year, indicating the start of a total pole reversal. While it can take thousands of years for the poles to completely flip, their journey to the other side can cause chaos in the meantime, as the magnetic field lines cross and become jumbled, weakening their ability to protect us from solar radiation.
Scientists are scrambling to develop models to determine how that will look in practice. This tree will assist them in doing so. Super interesting!
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