Earth tilted 12 degrees 84 million years ago, much before documented evidence: Study

The phenomenon of the Earth tilting on its axis every now and then is known to scientists, however, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications has suggested that these events happened much earlier than what is documented. With evidence found from millions of years old fossils in Italy, the study revealed that the Earth tilted to a massive 12 degrees nearly 84 million years ago, according to a report by The Swaddle. Experts say that the Earth tilts due to the "true polar wander" and this timeline shows that the tilting occurred while the dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. However, our planet quickly mended the mishap, says the study. 

What is the 'true polar wander' (TPW) theory?

According to the experts, this phenomenon occurs when the outer mantle and crust wobble and slide over the liquid metal core of the Earth, reported The Swaddle. Our planet Earth is made up of three layers namely the crust, mantle and core and it is the crust that is comprised of tectonic plates, the foundation of continents and oceans. What this theory suggests is that when the outer components ie. the crust and mantle rotate around the core as a result of wobbling which then causes a shift in the geographical poles and ultimately a tilt. 

The findings

As part of the study, researchers analyzed limestone samples from Italy that dated back to 65.5 to 100 million years ago, which is also known as the Cretaceous period. Science Alert reported that the analysis of these samples pointed towards the occurrence of a TPW about 84 million years ago, which was way before the first documented evidence of an Earth's tilt. Moreover, the experts also stated that although our planet underwent this massive tilt, it recovered to its previous state just five million years later. 

New findings challenge the previous one

This new evidence about the Earth's tilt during the dinosaur era challenges the notion that the Earth's spin axis has been stable over the last 100 million years and suggests that it may have started during the Cretaceous period. Calling the findings "refreshing", geophysicist Richard Gordon, from Houston's Rice University said that the study has gathered abundant data about the past events, as per The Swaddle. 

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