The Reflection of the Galactic Motion of Solar System in Geological History of the Earth

8/14/2019 The Reflection of the Galactic Motion of Solar System in Geological History of the Earth

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THE REFLECTION OF THE GALACTIC MOTION OF SOLAR SYSTEM INGEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE EARTH

Mircea icleanu1, Paul Constantin2, Nicolae icleanu3, Radu Nicolescu1

1 Geological Institute of Romania, 1 Caransebe str, Bucharest. E-mail: [email protected] Ex- Geological Institute of Romania. E-mail: [email protected] University of Bucharest, Department of Paleontology-Stratigraphy, 1 Bvd. N. Blcescu. Bucharest

Keywords: galactic cycle, galactic year, subgalactic cycle, galactic winter, glaciations

One of the cosmic motion with great influence on the Earth geological evolution,mainly on the terrestrial biosphere, is the galactic motion of the Solar System. This hasobviously cyclic character and reflects the Sun complete rotations around the center of ourGalaxy. The absolute time values advanced by the astronomers concerning the complete

rotation period, the galactic year period respectively (chron) are several (between 60-70My and 275 My, but usually between 150 My and 250 My), which led us to the idea oftrying to connect the galactic cyclicity (the galactic year as a matter of fact) to the majorperiodical changes that marked the evolution of our planet. Our attempts led to a period ofthe galactic year (cycle) of about 180 million terrestrial years (more accurate 180.80 My),period that could be extrapolated in the past to the whole geological time.

The first significant observation of this study is that the Mesozoic could be acceptedas a reference year cycle. The Palaeozoic is composed of two galactic years, the firstcorresponding to the LowerPalaeozoic and the second one to the UpperPalaeozoic. Thepre-geological phase (Star phase Macovei, 1958) extended on four galactic years, andthe Achaean includes seven galactic years. Proterozoichas 11 galactic years. From the

last galactic year, corresponding to Cenozoic, only about 67 My have passed.A coincidence was noticed between one galactic year period, and the temporary

extension of the geotectonic cycles. Thus, for instance, the galactic year corresponding toLower Palaeozoic suits to the Caledonian geotectonic cycle while Upper Palaeozoiccorresponds to the Hercinic geotectonic cycle. The Kimmeric geotectonic cycle could beequivalent only to the galactic year corresponding to Mesozoic, and the Alpine geotectoniccycle one could suit properly only the galactic year corresponding to Cenozoic.Equivalencies could be made between the geotectonic cycles of Proterozoic era (Karelian,Late Karelian, Gothian, Grenvillian, Assyntic, Brioverian, etc), and the galactic yearscorresponding to Proterozoic, as well.

The internal structure of the galactic year seems to be shown by the subgalacticcycles (Raup-Sepkoski cycles), of 26 My. These were put into evidence by statisticalpaleoecological studies made by Raup and Sepkoski (1982, 1984) on a 250 My range(Mesozoic+Cenozoic), for the marine environment. The repetition of the significantextinctions on ranges of about 26 My seems to have different amplitudes, that may givethe internal structure of the galactic year, in which one can easily distinguish warm andcold galactic seasons (galactic winters and summers, respectively) which give thecharacter of a great and important climatic cycle to the galactic year.

The main glaciations known in the Earth history, beginning with the end ofProterozoic, correspond (with scarce exceptions, among which the most important is theQuaternary glaciation) to the cold phases of the galactic cycle (year), to the galactic

winters respectively. Betweenthese cold phases there may be calculated periods of timebetween 155 My and 190 My that reflect, approximately, the galactic year period (about180 My), but, on the one hand the position of these glaciations is approximately, as

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M. Ticleanu et al., - The reflection of the galactic motion of the solar system in geological historynof the Earth

absolute age, and on the other hand the galactic winter extends on a longer period of time,and the thermal minimum of it could be placed differently from a galactic cycle to anotherdue either to the influence of longer cycles (the metagalactic cycle) or of shorter ones, ordue to other reasons.

The positioning, in time, of the most important glaciations (beginning with the end of

the Proterozoic) is placed, according to the actual data, to: 940 Ma, 770 Ma, 615 Ma, 570-550 Ma, 440 Ma, 320-250 Ma, and 146 Ma. The majority of these glaciations is placedobviously near the absolute values of the galactic years limits assigned on cyclicity criteria(using the period of 181 My of the galactic year): 940 Ma (in comparison with 970 Maestablished on cyclicity criteria), 770 Ma (in comparison with 789 Ma), 615 Ma (incomparison with 609 Ma), 440 Ma (in comparison with 428 Ma), 320-250 Ma (incomparison with 247 Ma). Even the glaciation placed between 570-550 Ma could beincluded towards the end of the galactic year (established on cyclicity criteria) placed atabout 609 Ma. To a galactic winter could be ascertained as well the glaciation included inthe range of 320-250 Ma, an earlier galactic winter, manifested before the limit of 247 Ma.But to all these one could add the last galactic winter, placed to the limit Mesozoic-

Cenozoic, which led to a great number of extinctions in the animal world, among whichwas the dinosaurs disappearance, as well.

For an easier time orientation, one could name the major glaciations, the abovementioned galactic winters namely, reported to the corresponding tectonic phases.

On the other hand, it is very obvious that the glaciation from the end of LowerCretacic (146 Ma) (Grcke et al., 2005), and those from Eocene (42.5 Ma), Upper Miocene(10 Ma), and the Quaternary glaciation could not be connected to some cold phases of thegalactic year but to some shorter cycles.

In correlation with the galactic year, the Earth moved towards a galactic summerwhich would reach its climax in about 26 My; the next galactic winter (with its middle after26+90 Ma) will be superposed on the next geocratic moment of the Vail-Payton megacycle(with a period of about 362 My) bringing about an unprecedent crisis of the biosphere.

Towards the middle of the XXth century the Russian astronomer Pavel Parengo wasestimating the galactic year at 176 My. According to the astronomers Lavrov A. andLitchkov R. (fide Mihai, 1986) the duration of the galactic year could be 170 Ma.

Rampino and Stothers (1984) noticed that three of the most severe mass extinctionsare separated by a time interval of about 180 My. This value seems to be consistent withthe galactic revolution duration of the Solar System, took over by these authors with avalue of 17010 My. The conclusion is that the main evolutionist changes in life history onEarth could be connected with the galactic dynamics.

Iasamanov (1993) estimated the galactic year duration to be about 215 My. According

to this author every galactic year consists of one 30-million-year cycle corresponding to theperigalacteum position of the solar system, one 85-million-year cycle corresponding to theapogalacteum position, and two medium periods lasting 50 million years each.

Very close to the value of 181 My which we admit for the duration of the galactic year,it is to be considered the 1833 My interval which separates (according to Goncharov andOrlov, 2003) the overwhelming majority of the important mass extinction events during thePhanerozoic. This time period could correspond to the anomalistic period of the Allen andMartas model which is in relation to the Sun successive passings through the apocenter ofits Galactic orbit.

The Ukrainian authors Kulinkovitch and Yakymchuk (2008) adopted the generalnotion of anomalistic galactic year (AGY) whose duration is that estimated by Pavel

Parengo (respectively 176 My). The same authors admitted the possibility of distinguishingfour seasons of the galactic year similar to those of the terrestrial year. Litchkov


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considered the galactic year to composed of 3 (three) distinct phases: glaciation,temperate and xerothermic ones.

Sankaran A. V. (2008) adopts a 250 My duration of the galactic year (according toShaviv, 2003) considering the important events in Earths evolution produced with a ~176My periodicity to reflect the time taken by the Solar System to travel from one galactic arm

to the same position in the next arm (in a more complex galactic model), idea asserted,after 2003, by same other authors, too.

Selected referencesCaratini R. (1987) - Lanne de la science, d. Seghers, Paris. (Cap.1: Astronomie), p. 1-93.Gillman M., Erenler H. (2008) The galactic cycle of extinction. International Journal of

Astrobiology, Vol. 7, Issue 1, p. 17-26.Goncharov G. N., Orlov V. V. (2003) Global repeating events in the history of the Earth and the

Motion of the Sun in the Galaxy.Astronomy Reports, vol. 47, Issue 11, p. 525-533.Iasamanov N. A. (1993) The galactic year and the periodicity of geological events. Rossiiskaia

Akademiia Nauk, Doklady, vol. 328, no. 3, p. 373-375.

Kulinkovich A. Ye., Yakymchuk M. A. (2008) Geochronological calendar as an alternative tothe geologic time scales. Preprint. Institute of Geological Sciences at the NationalAcademy of Sciences of Ukrainian, 30 p, Kyiv.

Macovei G. (1958) Geologie stratigrafic, (ed. a II-a), Editura tehnica, 565 p., Bucureti.Mihai E. S. (1986) Omul i astrele. Editura Dacia, 311 p., Cluj-Napoca.Rampino M. (1997) The galactic theory of mass extinctions: an update. Celestial Mechanics and

Dynamical Astronomy, vol. 69, no.1-2, p. 49-58.Rampino, M. R., Stothers R. B (1984) - Terrestrial mass extinctions, cometery impacts and the

Suns motion perpendicular to the galactic plane. Nature 308, 709712.Rampino M. R., Stothers R. B. (1986) Geologic periodicities and the Galaxy. In: The Galaxy

and the Solar System. R. Smoluchowski, J.N. Bahcall, and M.S. Matthews, Eds.University of Arizona Press, pp. 241-259, Tucson, AZ.

Raup D. M., Sepkoski J. J. (1982) Mass extinctions in the marine fossils record. Science, 215.p.1501-1503.Raup, D. M., Sepkoski, J.J. (1984) - Periodicity of extinctions in the geologic past. Proc Natl Acad

Sci U S A. 81(3), pp. 801805.Rileanu Gr., Pauliuc S. (1969) Geologie general, Ed. Didactic i Pedagogic, 462 p.

Bucureti.Sankaran, A. V. (2008) Galactic triggering of geologic events in earths history. Current Science,

vol. 95, no. 6, p. 714-716.Shaviv, N. J. (2003) - The spiral structure of the milky way, cosmic rays, and ice age epochs on

earth, New Astron., 8, 3977.icleanu M., icleanu N., Constantin P., Stelea I., Trifulescu M., Nicolescu R., Burlacu P.,

Borcan G. (2006) - Analiza timpului geologic din perspectiva ciclurilor cosmice

(astronomice) recunoscute sau propuse n domeniul geotiinelor. Contribuii ale coliiromnet de geologie. An. Inst. Geol. al Romniei, vol. 74 (special issue), p. 236-240,Bucureti.
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CITARE:The Reflection of the Galactic Motion of Solar System in Geological History of the Earth 2008 Autori:

icleanu M., Constantin P., icleanu N., Nicolescu R. In: Bucur I. I. & Filipescu S. (eds) Contributionsto the Scientific Session I. P. Voitesti, Cluj-Napoca, p. 81-84, Cluj University Press.

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