This is how the Earth has changed over the past 100 million years

Weather, plate tectonics, and climate are powerful forces that shape the appearance of the Earth.

Even today, models of modern Earth geomorphology (100 million years old) exist better segmentedexplains in a press release Tristan Sales of the University of Sydney, lead author of this work published in the journal science (A new window) (in English).

” To predict the future, we must understand the past. However, our current geological models provide only a partial understanding of the evolution of our planet’s physical characteristics. »

– Quote from Tristan Sales, University of Sydney

The scientist adds that there has been no continuous model of the interaction between river basins and erosion on a global scale and high-fidelity sediment deposition millions of years ago.

The new high-resolution (up to 10 km) model provides insight for the first time into how today’s geophysical landscapes are created and how millions of tons of sediment flow into the oceans.

This model integrates the geodynamics of million-year stratigraphy, tectonic and climatic forces, as well as surface processes such as stream and river flow.

It captures the dynamics of sediment transport from the land to the oceans in a way we haven’t been able to do before.explains Laurent Huson, of the Institute of Geosciences in Grenoble.

This new picture of the flow of terrestrial sediments into marine environments helps explain the current chemistry of the oceansTristan Sales adds.

Milestones

Earth was formed 4.6 billion years ago (about the same time the solar system formed);
At first, its surface consisted mostly of partially or completely molten rock, which then solidified;
Liquid water would have appeared on its surface barely 100 million years after its formation.

Predict the future

Because ocean chemistry is rapidly changing due to human-caused climate change, having a complete picture can help us understand changing marine environments.Tristan Sales notes.

” Our findings provide scientists from other fields with a dynamic and detailed context for preparing and testing hypotheses, for example in the field of biochemical cycles or biological evolution. »

– Quote from Tristan Sales of the University of Sydney

In addition, the model will allow scientistsinvestigated several hypotheses regarding how landscapes respond to changing tectonic and climatic factors.

The model also provides a better understanding of the role of sediment movement in the carbon cycle over millions of years.