Ancient sea-level patterns suggest Earth's poles moved in bursts over the past 320 million years, including during the dinosaur age. Researchers say some shifts were faster than previously thought.
01Summary
- 01Researchers at the Centre for Planetary Habitability at the University of Oslo, led by Mathew Domeier, studied sea-level changes across millions of years.
- 02They identified four periods of true polar wander: 190-200 million years ago, 140-150 million years ago, 90-100 million years ago, and 30-20 million years ago.
- 03During these episodes, Earth's surface shifted by as much as 0.6 degrees per million years relative to the spin axis.
- 04The team ruled out a suspected case around 300 million years ago, saying Pangea's northward movement was due to plate tectonics.
- 05The findings were published on 1 October in the journal Science.
02Why it matters
The study changes how scientists understand the movement of Earth's crust and its effect on climate over deep time. It could help explain how shifting poles may have influenced environments for dinosaurs and early primates.
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