Earth’s poles flipped 41,000 years ago in an unusual event, weakening the magnetic field, causing cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere.
And people have now heard the terrifying sounds of the so-called Laschamp event for the first time.
Scientists have used satellites to map the rays impacting our planet, recording what appeared to be the disintegration of wood and the crumbling of rocks.
The magnetic field protects our planet from solar wind and if the Laschamp event were to happen today it would wreak havoc on the power grid and expose life on the surface to greater amounts of solar radiation.
And the eerie soundscape captured in the new video took place when the region was at just five percent of its current strength.
Scientists have mapped the Earth’s magnetic field using a swarm of satellites. This allowed them to recreate the sounds of the region when it was overturned 42,000 years ago
The soundscape was captured using data from a constellation of European Space Agency satellites.
Researchers mapped the movement of Earth’s magnetic field lines during the event and produced a stereo audio version using natural sounds.
Scientists have been monitoring Earth’s magnetic field for decades, waiting for it to flip again – a shift that would see the south magnetic pole become the magnetic north, and vice versa.
Data shows that Earth’s magnetic north and south poles rotate every 200,000 to 300,000 years.
A 2018 study found that it has been about 780,000 years since the last such event, leading many to suspect we may be too late.
Professor Roberts of the Australian National University said at the time: ‘Earth’s magnetic field, which has existed for at least 3.45 billion years, provides a shield against the direct impact of solar radiation.
“Even with Earth’s strong magnetic field, we are still susceptible to solar storms today that can damage our electricity-based society.”
The research analyzed the paleomagnetic record from 107,000 to 91,000 years ago by analyzing a stalagmite from a cave in southwestern China.
The team performed magnetic analyzes and radiometric dating on the meter-long sample, revealing the behavior of the ancient magnetic field.
And they found that over the span of about two centuries, the magnetic field underwent a rapid shift, with its strength decreasing by about 90 percent as a field reversal occurred.
A more recent 2021 study blamed the Neanderthal extinction on the reversal of Earth’s magnetic field.
Australian researchers analyzed the radiocarbon record of ancient trees in New Zealand that were still alive when the magnetic poles reversed.
The trees revealed spikes in radiocarbon levels in the atmosphere, caused by the collapse of Earth’s magnetic field and changing solar winds.
The researchers called this dangerous period the ‘Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event’, or simply ‘Adams Event’ – a tribute to science fiction writer Douglas Adams.
The shift weakened the magnetic field, allowing cosmic rays to storm Earth’s atmosphere
The British author wrote in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that ’42’ was the answer to life, the universe and everything.
Chris Turney, co-author of the study, said: ‘For the first time ever we have managed to accurately date the timing and environmental impact of the last magnetic pole switch.
‘The findings were made possible using ancient New Zealand kauri trees, which have been preserved in sediments for more than 40,000 years.
‘Using the ancient trees, we were able to measure and date the spike in radiocarbon levels in the atmosphere caused by the collapse of the Earth’s magnetic field.’
The team found that Earth’s magnetic field weakened only up to six percent, leaving “essentially no magnetic field at all.”
During the magnetic field collapse, the Sun experienced several major solar minima (GSM) – extended periods of quiet solar activity.
Although a cell phone means less activity on the sun’s surface, the weakening of the magnetic field could mean more space weather – such as solar flares and galactic cosmic rays – could come Earth’s way.
‘Unfiltered radiation from space tore apart air particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, separating electrons and emitting light – a process called ionisation,’ says Professor Turney.
‘The ionized air burned the ozone layer and caused a wave of climate change around the world.’
The Adams Event could explain a host of other evolutionary mysteries, such as the extinction of the Neanderthals and the sudden widespread appearance of figurative art in caves around the world.