New discovery shortens Earth's age

Compared to previous research on Earth's age, scientists at Cambridge University (UK) have confirmed that the green planet is younger than 70 million years, because it takes more time to form.

By comparing isotopes from the Earth's crust with similar components in meteorites, Cambridge geologists claim, the Earth has reached its present size about 4.467 billion years ago. year.

In the past, scientists calculated the development of the Earth in the 'accumulation' phase, when gas, dust and many other matter formed into blocks to form a green planet, occurring in time. about 30 million years.

But in the new study, this process takes 100 million years, three times more than before, synonymous with the age of the Earth younger than 70 million years from its present shape.

In a paper published in Nature Geosience, the researchers claim that, after developing up to 60% of the current shape at a rapid rate, Earth's material accumulation has slowed significantly, causing both the process is 100 million years long.

Dr. John Rudge, one of the authors of the study, said: 'The key to that study is to determine the timing of the Earth's core shaping, one of the great mysteries of science.'

Image of Earth watching from Apollo 11 before landing on the Moon.Photo: EPA / NASA.

He added: 'One of the big problems is that scientists often hypothesize that the process of accumulating the Earth takes place in the exponential reduction ratio. However, we think the process is not as simple as that. It can take place over a continuous cycle. '

Earth's accumulation process includes a series of collisions between large tectonic plates, the cause of life on the planet. The effects create huge heat levels, causing the inside of the developing planet to melt, creating the molten metal core of the Earth as well as the upper shells.

Many scientists believe that the final stage of the process occurs when an asteroid of size equal to Mars collides with the Earth, causing a part of the planet to split, forming the Moon.

The researchers used methods to measure the amount of chemical isotopes produced during Earth's accumulation, forming a 'geological clock'. Later, Earth isotope samples were compared to samples taken from meteorite collisions with the Earth in modern history.

Meteors are a form of 'time box', containing isotopes similar to the original materials that had joined together when the solar system formed.

Image simulating the accumulation of Earth: dust, gas . combined together.

Later, Dr. Rudge and colleagues used computer models to calculate how the Earth shapes to match the levels of isotope decay found on the crust. They claim that the Earth cannot form in just 30 million years. Instead, from the time of accumulation to reaching the current 2/3 shape, the process takes about 10-40 million years. After that, the process slowed down and took about 70 million years to complete.

Dr. Rudge said: 'We calculate that the planet's life is 4.467 billion years, a little younger than previously envisioned, 4.537 billion years'.

Source: Telegraph