The gravitational pull of Mars was capable of mixing the Earth’s oceans

The waters of our planet depend on the orbits of the solar system

Analysis of cores obtained by deep-sea drilling rigs suggests that the gravitational influence of Mars may be sufficient to shift Earth’s oceans over a cycle of 2.4 million years.

It has long been recognized that fluctuations in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun affect the planet’s climate, with these cycles operating over periods measured in thousands of years. Now Adriana Dutkiewicz of the University of Sydney and her colleagues claim they have discovered a 2.4-million-year “Great Cycle” that they believe is driven by Mars and has had a dramatic effect on currents in Earth’s oceans for at least 40 million years .

“Mars’ gravitational pull may be strong enough to disturb the oceans, shifting them within the climate cycle,” the researchers report.

Evidence of this cycle comes from nearly 300 deep-sea drilling cores that revealed unexpected changes in ocean sediment. During periods of stable currents, oceanographers expect sediment to settle in stable layers, but unusual currents and eddies can cause it to accumulate elsewhere.

According to the team, the absence or breaks in the sediment record correspond to times when Mars’ gravity exerts its greatest force on Earth, subtly affecting our planet’s orbital stability. This changes solar radiation levels and climate, manifesting as stronger currents and eddies in the oceans.

Team member Dietmar Müller admits that the distance between Earth and Mars is so great that it is difficult to imagine any significant gravitational force at work.

“But there are so many feedback loops that can amplify even small changes,” he states. “The influence of Mars on the Earth’s climate is akin to the butterfly effect.”

Benjamin Mills supports his colleagues and acknowledges that drill cores provide more evidence for the existence of “megacycles” in global environmental change.

“Many of us have seen these multimillion-year cycles in various geological, geochemical and biological records, including during the famous explosion of animal life in the Cambrian period,” he concludes. “This paper helps cement these ideas as key components of environmental change.”

But Matthew England believes the study contributes to the understanding of climate cycles on a geological scale, but he is not convinced by the paper’s conclusions.

“I’m skeptical about the connection to Mars, given that its gravitational pull on Earth is so weak—only about one millionth the Sun’s,” he notes. “Even Jupiter has a stronger gravitational field than Earth.”

England also points out that even if the Red Planet does have an impact, it’s nothing compared to human-caused climate change: “The impact of greenhouse gases is like a sledgehammer in comparison, so it has nothing to do with today’s climate, where We’re seeing melting ice sheets reduce ocean circulation.”