July 3rd, 2024 | Ars Technica via UVic News
As highlighted in a new article, researchers Russell Deitrick and Colin Goldblatt from the University of Victoria, Canada, explored the effects of Earth’s rotation slowing down due to tidal interactions with the Moon, which made days shorter in the past. They were particularly interested in the resonance between the day’s length and Lamb waves, a specific way a disturbance can travel through a medium. Their findings suggest that when the Earth’s day was a bit shorter than 22 hours, any atmospheric disturbances related to day length could interact with the Lamb waves, potentially strengthening the impact of any atmospheric phenomena related to day length. This resonance could lead to shifts in climate, such as rain occurring in the morning and evening with midday skies largely cloud-free, and a considerable increase in Earth’s temperature. The researchers believe that this period of resonance is inevitable at some point in our past and may have occurred shortly before the Cambrian period. If further studies confirm these findings, it could mean that much of Earth’s complex life owes its existence to the warming driven by this atmospheric resonance.
Colin Goldblatt and Russell Deitrick are both integral members of the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. Goldblatt, an Associate Professor, leads interdisciplinary research on the atmospheric evolution of Earth and Earth-like planets, integrating atmospheric and climate science, geology, and geochemistry. His work, which delves into the factors determining the evolution of Earth’s atmospheric composition and climate, the controls of habitability of (exo)planets, and the impact of life on planetary evolution, significantly contributes to our understanding of Earth System Science and Planetary Science.
On the other hand, Deitrick, a post-doctoral researcher, brings his expertise in Astronomy and Astrobiology to the team. With a background that includes a PhD from the University of Washington and a post-doc position at the University of Bern’s Center for Space and Habitability, Deitrick primarily uses computational models to understand the physics of various planets, including Earth and exoplanets. As part of Goldblatt’s research group, he is currently studying early Earth climates using these models. His research also extends to the study of atmospheres of exoplanets and their orbital evolution. Together, their combined efforts provide a comprehensive approach to studying our planet and beyond.
Both Colin Goldblatt and Russell Deitrick have some of their research openly available through the University of Victoria’s institutional repository, UVicSpace. Readers interested in delving deeper into their work can visit UVicSpace for more comprehensive information!
