Welcome to the Meigallian period!

A new chapter has appeared in the history of the Earth – and we all live there. Scientists have officially classified the last 4200 years as a separate geologic period in the history of our planet.

It was called the Meigallian period, at the beginning of which the global drought resulted in the death of several great civilizations in different parts of the planet. A diagram that reflects the geological chronology of our planet (which we can often see in classes) will now be brought into line with the new classification.

However, it should be noted that there are some in the scientific community disagreeing about innovation. Some researchers believe that the idea of ​​the Meigallian period, proposed for the first time in a scientific book seven years ago, has not been sufficiently discussed.

Geologists share the story of the Earth's existence – about 4.6 billion years ago. Each period begins with a major event on a global scale – the division of continents, significant climate changes or even the emergence of a new type of animal or plant.

We live in the Holocene 11,700 years ago. leads to the end of the last ice age. However, the Holocene itself is now divided into several geological periods by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)

It is this organization that is an official chronograph of geological time, and its experts have proposed to distinguish the early, middle and late phases of the Holocene. important climate change. The Meygalite period began 4200 years ago with a great drought whose catastrophic consequences lasted for two centuries and caused irreparable damage to the civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Valley of Lions. Indus and Yangtze Valley

. In other periods of the geological scale, the Meigallian period is distinguished by the fact that its origin coincided with the overall development of the culture caused by the same climatic changes, says geology professor Stanley Finnney, General . Secretary of the International Union of Geological Sciences, which approved the proposal ICS.

The middle Holocene phase preceding the Meigalean period was called the Northrigipse period. It began 8300 years ago with a strong cooling

It caused the rapid and significant melting of glaciers on the territory of modern Canada, causing enormous volumes of fresh water in the oceans and changing ocean currents

. after the end of the Ice Age, were called Greenlandic

In order to obtain a distinct position in the official classification, the geological period should show an event that has consequences on a global scale and has leads to the formation of a new layer of rock. 007] One of the decisive events occurred about 66 million years ago, when the Cretaceous period became tertiary (on a modern scale, it covered several periods): the sediments were separated by a high iridium layer. The Meygalite period distinguishes the presence of more specific chemical compounds, which is seen most clearly on the example of stalagmitic deposits in the caves of Meigallia in northeastern India (19659017). author [19659003] IUGS

However, the decision to divide the Holocene into three sub-periods has already aroused criticism from a number of scientists who consider this step premature. They question the fact that climate change underpinning the new classification is global in scope.

In addition, they fear that the new classification will be adopted at a time when there is a fierce scientific debate about It is worthwhile to allocate in a separate period a period that began with the appearance on the planet of people.

It is called anthropogenic, but the exact definition is precisely what its counting is and what "geological summit" should be based on it –

] One of the key works of this ha The pre is directed by a professor of geography at University College London, Mark Maslin. His change in the official ranking was astonished.

"After the original work of several commissions, we suddenly announce [про Мейгалейський період] and point to it on the diagram:" This is the official decision – we are all living in a new era. we have a handful of new definitions that may contradict the anthropic working group and are contrary to the views of the majority of scientists who regard the emergence of people as the most significant change on Earth for 10 thousand years ", was he said in an interview with the BBC. [ad_2]
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