Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Like us on Facebook
Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Curiosmos
No Result
View All Result

Younger Dryas Caused by Intense Volcanic Activity and Not Massive Meteor Impacts 13,000 Years Ago

Ivan PetricevicbyIvan Petricevic
August 2, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
in Editor's Picks
An image of a volcanic eruption. Jumpstory.

An image of a volcanic eruption. Jumpstory.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Researchers have found that around 13,000 years ago, unprecedented volcanic activity caused the climate on Earth to cool down drastically, probably changing the history of early civilizations and cultures around the globe.

A drastic cooling of the Earth 13,000 years ago, which lowered temperatures by about 3 degrees Celsius, coincided with strong volcanic activity, researchers have found.

Evidence of that event is buried in a cave in central Texas, where sediments have preserved unique geochemical signatures from ancient eruptions, according to researchers from the University of Houston, Baylor University, and Texas A&M University. The study detailing the findings was published in Science Advances.

This unprecedented volcanic activity was previously confused with extraterrestrial impacts, the researchers behind the study have revealed.

Related Posts

An artist's rendering of a highly advanced civilization. Shutterstock.

The Silurian Hypothesis: Was Earth home to an advanced civilization before humans?

August 3, 2023 - Updated on January 20, 2024
How Did Life Begin on Earth

How Did Life Begin on Earth?

September 17, 2024

According to researchers, the geochemical signature associated with the cooling event is not unique but occurred at least four times between 9,000 and 15,000 years ago.

Alan Brandon, professor of geosciences at the University of Houston, revealed in a statement that the trigger for this cooling event did not come from space. Previous geochemical evidence of a large meteorite exploding in the atmosphere reflects a period of major volcanic eruptions, Brandon revealed.

After a volcano erupts, the global spread of aerosols reflects incoming solar radiation away from Earth, back into space, and can lead to global post-eruption cooling for one to five years, depending on the size and timing of the eruption. The study indicates that the cooling episode, scientifically known as the “Younger Dryas,” was caused by numerous coincident Earth-based processes, not by an extraterrestrial impact.

“The Younger Dryas, which occurred about 13,000 years ago, interrupted the distinctive warming at the end of the last ice age,” says co-author Steven Forman, a professor of geosciences at Baylor University.

Earth’s climate may have been at a tipping point in Younger Dryas, possibly due to ice sheet discharge in the North Atlantic Ocean, improved snow cover, and powerful volcanic eruptions that may have combined an intense cooling of the northern hemisphere, the researchers point out.

“This rapid cooling period is associated with the extinction of several species, including mammoths and mastodons, and coincides with the appearance of the Clovis archaeological tradition,” explains co-author Michael Waters, director of the Center for Early Americans at Texas A&M University.

Scientists Brandon performed an isotope analysis of sediments collected from Hall Cave in the Texas Hill Country to better understand what happened on Earth around 13,000 years ago.

The analysis focused on rare elements such as iridium, ruthenium, platinum, palladium, and rhenium. They determined that the elements in the Texas sediments were not present in the correct relative proportions that a meteorite or asteroid had added to Earth.

That meant the cooling could not have been caused by an extraterrestrial impact, but something must have happened on Earth.

“The isotope analysis and the relative proportion of the elements matched those that were found in previous volcanic gases,” said Sun, lead author of the report.

A volcanic origin for the Younger Dryas is an exciting new idea, the researchers reveal. However, whether a single major volcano eruption could drive the observed cooling, it remains an open question, the researchers acknowledge.

As revealed by experts, volcanic eruptions tend to cause their most severe cooling near the source, generally in the 12 months after the eruption, with substantially less cooling in the years after the eruption takes place.

The cooling of the Younger Dryas lasted approximately 1,200 years, making a single volcanic eruptive cause an important initiating factor, but other changes to Earth’s climate and environment were needed, such as ocean cooling events and more snow cover to keep this period cooler.

This research underscores that extreme climate variability since the last ice age is attributed to unique Earth-bound controllers rather than extraterrestrial mechanisms. Such ideas are an important guide to building better models of past and future climate change, the researchers conclude.

Share157Tweet98Share27ShareSend
Ivan Petricevic

Ivan Petricevic

I've been writing passionately about ancient civilizations, history, alien life, and various other subjects for more than eight years. You may have seen me appear on Discovery Channel's What On Earth series, History Channel's Ancient Aliens, and Gaia's Ancient Civilizations among others.

Related Posts

Tel Megiddo, also known as Armageddon bears traces of habitation spanning back more than 9,000 years. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Editor's Picks

The Ancient City of Armageddon Predates the Egyptian Pyramids by 4,000 Years

May 18, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
LiDAR imagery showing ancient Maya structures beneath dense layers of vegetation.
Editor's Picks

LiDAR Reveals Vast Ancient Maya Structures Hidden Beneath the Forest

April 2, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
Artist's impression of the Giant Magellan Telescope when complete. Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation
Editor's Picks

Using Gigantic Mirrors, Astronomers Want to Observe the Edge of the Cosmos—10 Reasons Why This is Huge News

May 13, 2021 - Updated on January 21, 2024
Meta Title: The mystery of the dinosaur with neck spines
Editor's Picks

Meta Title: The mystery of the dinosaur with neck spines

February 6, 2019 - Updated on April 17, 2025
More Than 10,000 Years Ago, People inhabited the Amazon Creating Settlements
Editor's Picks

More Than 10,000 Years Ago, People inhabited the Amazon Creating Settlements

April 26, 2019 - Updated on May 7, 2019
A stunning view of the The Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara. Shutterstock.
Editor's Picks

5 Remarkable Reasons Why Saqqara is Ancient Egypt’s Most Important Site 

September 13, 2019 - Updated on January 21, 2024
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fair Use Notice
  • DMCA / Removal
  • Impressum
  • Contact
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Impressum
CURIOSMOS.COM

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists