NEW YORK: The Earth’s magnetic field is at least four billion years old, up from the previous estimates of 3.45 billion years, researchers from University of Rochester have found.
Earth’s magnetic field protects the atmosphere from solar winds – streams of charged particles shooting from the Sun.
The magnetic field helps prevent the solar winds from stripping away the atmosphere and water, which make life on the planet possible.
Given the importance of the magnetic field, scientists have been trying to determine when it first arose, which could, in turn, provide clues as to when plate tectonics got started and how the planet was able to remain habitable.
“A strong magnetic field provides a shield for the atmosphere,” said John Tarduno, geophysicist at University of Rochester and a leading expert on Earth’s magnetic field.
“This is important for the preservation of habitable conditions on Earth,” he added.
Earth’s magnetic field is generated in its liquid iron core and this “geodynamo” requires a regular release of heat from the planet to operate.
Today, that heat release is aided by plate tectonics, which efficiently transfers heat from the deep interior of the planet to the surface.
But, according to Tarduno, the time of origin of plate tectonics is hotly debated, with some scientists arguing that Earth lacked a magnetic field during its youth.
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