Recent research, including studies published by Heriot-Watt University and a Science Reporthas uncovered colossal structures buried deep under the Atlantic Ocean, providing new light on the birth of this immense body of water. This discovery confirms not only the previous theories on the separation of South America And Africa But also suggests that the Atlantic may have started to train earlier than we thought before.
Mud waves under the Atlantic
Geologists of Heriot-Watt University And other institutions have studied carrots of sediment drilled over 45 years ago off the coast of West Africa, around 250 miles west of Guinea-Bissau. These nuclei, which are part of the 1975 high seas drilling projectdiscovered surprising evidence of mud waves formed at a critical point of the training of the Atlantic. These waves are not only geological curiosities: they offer valuable information on the processes that have led to the fracture of South America and Africa.
“Imagine waves one kilometer long and a few hundred meters high: an entire field formed in a particular place west of the Guinean plateau, just at the last” pinch point “between the continents of South America and Africa,” said Uisdean Nicholson, one of the main geologists of the project.
These waves were the result of a massive mixture of very salty water from the South Atlantic with the less salty waters of the North Atlantic. This intense mixture has created powerful currents that led to the formation of gigantic waves of mud now buried under the ocean background.
The role of tectonic movements and the oceanic rift
The opening of the Atlantic Ocean was not a sudden event but rather a prolonged process marked by a tectonic rift. As South America and Africa Drifting, the gap between the two continents has widened, filling with water which finally formed the Atlantic. It is believed that the mud waves were created during the last stages of this separation, when the connection between the two continents was the most tenuous.
Before the complete opening of the Atlantic, the area between the continents was a series of deep basins probably resembling lakes. These basins were rich in salt deposits From the South Atlantic, which created very salty water. Meanwhile, the waters of the North Atlantic were less salty, which led to intense currents when the two bodies of water mixed.
The climate impact of the Atlantic formation
The study suggests that the opening of the Atlantic Ocean was not only a geological event: he may also have significant global climate implications. The pools separating Africa from South America were rich in carbon. When the Atlantic began to train, the effectiveness of carbon sequestration has been reduced, which led to a period of global warming. between 117 and 110 million years ago. This warming is probably due to the release of carbon in the atmosphere, the creation of the Atlantic having disturbed carbon wells previously stable.
“This shows that the bridge has played a very important role in global climate change,” said Débora DuarteA geologist involved in the study. The current increase in carbon emissions may have played a key role in the outbreak of climate change on earth, which would lead to the world conditions that we recognize today.
Sediment and geological evidence
The mud waves were buried under sediment layers for millions of years, thus preserving them under the ocean background. These waves bear witness to dramatic geological forces at work at the time of the The birth of Atlantic. The carrots of sediment taken from this region reveal a formerly turbulent landscape, shaped by the violent forces of the tectonic plates that go away. Over time, the waves have covered with sediments, hiding them deeply in the oceanic crust.
The discovery of these mud waves is an essential piece in the puzzle of understanding the geological history of the earth. He calls into question the previous hypotheses on the moment when the Atlantic Ocean has really started to form and gives a clearer image of the physical processes involved.
