Amazon River 11 million years old

The Amazon River originated as a transcontinental river about 11 million years ago, and began to take shape today about 2.4 million years ago. These are the most remarkable results of a study of two boreholes near Petrobras' Amazon river mouth, the Brazilian national oil company.

A research group of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems (IBED) at the University of Amsterdam, University of Liverpool and Petrobras used new ocean records to reconstruct the history of the Amazon River.

The Amazon River originated as a transcontinental river about 11 million years ago, and began to take shape today about 2.4 million years ago. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Until recently, Amazon Fan was a 10 kilometer thick column of sediments that proved to be a very tough case, drilling efforts by scientists such as the Sea Drilling Program, which were only a very small part. Petrobras' recent discovery has uncovered a secret, analyzing sediment and paleontology for specimens from two boreholes, a hole 4.5 km deep at the bottom of the sea, giving insight. new history of the Amazon River and Amazon Fan.

Before this study, the true life of the Amazon River is still unknown. This study has important implications for our understanding of South American geography and the evolution of marine life in the Amazon region and the Atlantic coast. This is an important moment when a newly formed ecosystem creates a geographical separation factor.

The importance of sediment

Sediments near the main river area often contain continuous records of terrestrial materials accumulated in the river bed over time. These notes provide an understanding of the region's historical climate and geography.The information discovered this 4.5 km deep bore is a scientific breakthrough and underscores the value of cooperation between the scientific and industrial circles.

The study was published in the journal Geology in July 2009.