Cosmic collision caused climate change on Earth 12,800 years ago

A recent study suggests that Abu Hureyra, an ancient Syrian settlement, switched from hunting to agriculture due to the devastating impact of the comet. This theory is called the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis. suggests this An environmental disaster approximately 12,800 years ago caused a profound transformation in human survival methods at Abu Hureyra.

Researchers They are exploring the idea of ​​sudden global cooling known as the Younger Dryas.It occurred as a result of a fragmented comet colliding with the Earth’s atmosphere. This event radically changed the environment. The region, once characterized by a humid and forested landscape with a rich food diversity, has now become colder and drier. This scenario has forced Abu Hureyra residents to adapt and innovate.

The village, now located below Lake Assad, was a rich repository of evidence of ancient diets. Analyzing the remains, scientists noticed a change in the diet of the inhabitants. After the crash, they began to rely more on domestically grown grains rather than wild legumes, fruits, and nuts.

This impact has not only triggered an acceleration in agricultural innovation, but also Visible transformations in demography, architectural changes and first steps in the domestication of animals in the region.

Scientists found a special “black carpet” layer rich in carbon and filled with nanodiamonds, platinum and metallic spheres; these were clear signs of extreme temperatures that surpassed all human technologies at the time.

The researchers looked for recent comparisons. Nuclear tests in the twentieth century, such as those conducted in New Mexico in 1945 and in Kazakhstan between 1949 and 1953, are akin to cosmic explosions. Shock waves from both the nuclear tests and the fragmented comet traveled through the atmosphere towards the Earth’s surface..

“We are identifying shock rupture morphologies in these low-pressure events in studies,” Kennett said. “We did this to compare with what we observed in fractured quartz grains at the Younger Dryas margin.”

“For the first time, we confirm that shock metamorphism in quartz grains resulting from an atomic explosion is similar to that occurring in a low-altitude, low-pressure air cosmic explosion,” Kennett said.

This “low pressure” still exceeds 3 GPa; That’s equivalent to the pressure of five 737 airplanes stacked on top of a small coin. The new methodology will help identify previously unnoticed airbursts that experts believe occur every century or millennium.

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