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Roberto Melendrez
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Joined: 04 August 2006
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Posted: 13 February 2019 at 4:49pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Came across this scientific paper and thought that some on the board would find it interesting.

In short, these researchers propose that some mass extinctions on Earth occur when the magnetic poles shift- causing the magnetosphere to significantly weaken allowing cosmic forces (particularly solar wind), normally weakened or diverted by the magnetosphere, to enter Earth's atmosphere whereby oxygen atoms are ionized and escape Earth's gravity resulting in catastrophic low levels of breathable air.

Researchers support their theory via models, some tests and data from mass extinction events.

Reminds me a bit of the hypothesis that the Earth' 's atmosphere would ignite like the head of a match if an atomic bomb was set off.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X1 4001629
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Eric Sofer
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Posted: 14 February 2019 at 10:07am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Right now, it seems as if we're doing a bang up job of directing ourselves towards our own Mass Extinction... and let's pray it's only a theory! 'Cause it seems kind of inevitable within the next century or so...
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Roberto Melendrez
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Posted: 14 February 2019 at 12:53pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

It sure looks that way, Eric.

What's scary to me is the speed at which the scenario described in the paper could happen. I read somewhere else that Earth's magnetic poles could shift as quickly as a weekend and loss of breathable air less than a month after that.

Makes for a hell of a scenario.  How would the majority of people respond? Sure there would be panic or pandemonium from some. Denial from some folks and blame from others - I can imagine religious types would have a field day blaming "heathens" for the apocalypse as their churches overflowed. Possibly a month or two would give some people time to come to terms with their fate? Who knows? One things sure, I would hate to be around to see/experience it.

Anyhow, I figured that some of the board would find the paper's theory interesting and the creative types may find some sort of inspiration.


Edited by Roberto Melendrez on 14 February 2019 at 12:57pm
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Jim Muir
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Posted: 18 February 2019 at 1:40pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

It’s okay, mass extinction events only come around every 50 to 60 million years apart, and the last one was 65 million years ago.

Oh...
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