Context

• The Earth experiences climate fluctuations in a 2.4-million-year cycle, discovered through geological sedimentary evidence in the deep ocean Current. This cycle, known as “astronomical grand cycles

Key Highlights of the Study Newly Discovered Climate Cycle: 

Study in Nature Communications unveils 2.4-million-year climate cycle linked to Earth-Mars gravitational tug-of-war.

• Impact of Climate Cycle: Cycle impacts deep sea currents and global warming patterns, adding to understanding of natural climate rhythms.
• Milankovitch Cycles and Ice Ages: Serbian astrophysicist Milutin Milankovitch’s cycles influence Earth’s long-term climate through orbit changes.
• Gravitational jostling : Gravitational jostling of planets alters orbits, affecting ice ages with predictable patterns.
• Earth and Mars Relationship: Astronomical “grand cycles” include slower rhythms, such as the 2.4-million-year cycle related to Earth-Mars orbits.
• Study of Deep Sea Sediment: Deep-sea sediment study reveals connection between orbit changes, global warming, and ocean currents.
• Impact on Ocean Circulation: Warmer periods coincide with more vigorous deep-ocean currents, shaping sedimentary records over millions of years. 
  • Intensifying deep-ocean eddies in warmer climates may counteract potential ocean stagnation.
• Future Course:  Interplay between Earth-Mars influence, Milankovitch cycles, and human-driven global warming depends on greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Understanding long-term climate cycles crucial for predicting future climate scenarios.

About Astronomical Grand Cycle

• About: The concept of the Astronomical Grand Cycle (AGC) suggests that the gravitational interaction between Earth and Mars cyclically influences deep ocean currents, leading to recurring patterns every 2.4 million years. 
• Interference of gravity fields between the two planets: This cycle is attributed to the interference of gravity fields between the two planets, causing a resonance that affects Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

News Source: Down to Earth