Scientists have found a possible link between the formation of Earth’s crust and the movement of our solar system through the arms of the Milky Way.
The Earth’s crust may hold imprints of cosmic processes that occurred far beyond our planet. A new study published in the journal Physical Review Research suggests that the solar system’s journey through the Milky Way’s spiral arms could have left traces in ancient zircon crystals, which formed billions of years ago.
Scientists compared the isotopic composition of oxygen in zircon with maps of hydrogen distribution in our galaxy and discovered remarkable correlations. During periods when the solar system passed through denser regions of hydrogen, they observed spikes in the chemical variability of the minerals. This could indicate an increase in asteroid and comet impacts that influenced the formation of the Earth’s crust.
The authors of the study, geochronology professor Chris Kirkland (Curtin University) and astrophysicist Phil Sutton (University of Lincoln), propose that zircons may be a unique “archive” of galactic events, preserved for longer than meteorite craters.
The researchers emphasize that while the correlation does not yet prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the data opens a new direction for understanding how the cosmos may have influenced Earth’s geological and biological history.
