The new hypothesis about Snowball Earth and how the earth freezes hundreds of millions of years ago

Researchers at Harvard University have changed the way we think about the largest ice age event on Earth, Snowball Earth. This video will show you how the earth froze according to this hypothesis.

Scientists at Harvard University have a new theory about Snowball Earth, explaining why the earth freezes and becomes a snow globe.

The Earth quickly froze from one pole to the other, from about 700 million years ago. And it became a giant snow globe, called Snowball Earth. It was the largest freezing event in history.

What has created such freezing all over the earth? Scientists at Harvard have a new theory: It is the volcanic eruptions. They are known as intense volcanic eruptions, taking place on a large scale. Moreover, these volcanoes can cool our planet (because SO2 gas escapes, interacting with the atmosphere reduces the temperature).

The new hypothesis about Snowball Earth and how the earth freezes hundreds of millions of years ago Picture 1
Photo source: carbonbrief.org

So, the hypothesis is, why is there only one Snowball Earth? Harvard scientists think the key is Tropopause. Tropopause is the junction between the troposphere and the stratosphere. To cool the earth, sulfur dioxide (SO2) or sulfur dioxide from the volcano needs to escape.

But sometimes Tropopause is too high to create a perfect "storm" to create Snowball Earth, a lot of volcanic eruptions plus Tropopause low. Scientists estimate this may have happened in just 10 years.

And this is how it happened: There was a massive volcano that happened 717 years ago. A 2,000-mile volcanic strip (3,218,688 meters) began erupting. How long these eruptions last is unknown. When the Snowball Earth erupted for 10 years, it began to form. Scientists say that similar phenomena can repeat several times as long as there are suitable conditions. This can prove that extreme climate change on earth can happen faster than we think.

Please watch the video to better understand this process.

(Video source: Business Insider)

Please refer to more:

1. What is left of the Earth if all the nuclear bombs in the world fire at the same time?
2. How long does it take to get up to 7 life-capable planets - has Trappist-1 been discovered?