A new study has claimed that a supernova explosion that took millions of miles away may have led to the minor mass extinction on Earth. The scientists have estimated that this might have taken place around 2.59 million years ago.
According to the researchers, the cosmic rays that contained fast-moving, charged particles might have been released as a result of the supernova extinction. The cosmic rays induced certain climatic changes on Earth that apparently led to mass extinction. This is estimated to have happened between the end of Pliocene epoch and the start of the Pleistocene.
As a result of the climatic changes induced by the cosmic rays, the whole region of Africa died out and the forest land turned itself into Savannah. According to study co-author Adrian Melott of the University of Kansas, since then glaciations and the ice age have started over and over again and no one has any clue why that happens as such.
During the study, Melott and his colleagues from the team led by Brian Thomas prepared computer models that demonstrated the effect of supernovas on Earth's biosphere and climate. The team particularly looked at the supernovas that occur about 300 light years away from Earth. Scientists believe that such supernovas flared up twice in recent events.
The simulations prepared by the team suggest that supernovas that occurred previously lit up the sky so bright that it ended up disrupting the sleeping pattern of the animals on Earth for weeks. In addition, an increase in the radiation hit the terrestrial organisms and those living in the shallower parts of the ocean.
According to the team, cosmic rays containing particles with really high energy are quite rare. They are capable of penetrating the environment and tear up the molecules. However, that happens at a really high altitude.
