NASA Study Reveals Correlation Between Earth’s Magnetic Field and Atmospheric Oxygen

According to the newly conducted research by NASA, the scientists found that 540 million years ago, changes in the strength of the Earth's magnetic field were correlated with the fluctuations in the atmospheric oxygen. Further, it suggests that the processes at the core of the Earth could influence the habitability on the surface of Earth. The magnetic field of Earth rises from the flow of material in the molten part of its interior, acting like a giant electromagnet. This flow is not perfectly stable, and this induces changes in the magnetic field of the Earth with time.

Magnetic Field Influenced by the Atmosphere

As per NASA's Earth Science News Team, scientists argue that the magnetic field is very important for protecting the atmosphere from erosion through energetic particles rising from the Sun. However, the author of the study in Science Advances suggests that the role of magnetic fields in protecting the atmosphere is an area that needs more research. Before knowing the complexity of the cause-and-effect relationship between oxygen levels and magnetic fields, the authors of the study decided to observe the changes in the magnetic field and atmosphere that are linked.

How did the Scientists Find this Relation

When hot minerals inside the Earth flow with magma at gaps between the tectonic plates and cool down, they can record the magnetic field of the surrounding region. Scientists have deduced the oxygen levels from the ancient rocks and minerals, as their chemical content is dependent on the oxygen amount available at the time of their formation.

According to Weijia Kuang, a geophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre, this correlation could help us to know the evolution of life and how it is relevant to the interior process of the planet. On comparison of the two datasets, the scientists found there is a correlation in the rising and falling pattern of both Earth's magnetic field and the oxygen in the atmosphere, dating back to the Cambrian explosion, when life came into existence.

Future Scope and Research

The scientists will examine the longer datasets in future to check whether the correlation extends farther back in time. For the specific causes of correlating the Earth's deep interior to habitat on the surface, researchers say that more work is to be done to figure this out.