Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length
Abstract During the Precambrian era, Earth's decelerating rotation would have passed a 21 h period that would have been resonant with the semidiurnal atmospheric thermal tide. Near this point, the atmospheric torque would have been maximized, being comparable in magnitude but opposite in direct...
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Wiley
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068912 |
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| author | Benjamin C. Bartlett David J. Stevenson |
| author_facet | Benjamin C. Bartlett David J. Stevenson |
| author_sort | Benjamin C. Bartlett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract During the Precambrian era, Earth's decelerating rotation would have passed a 21 h period that would have been resonant with the semidiurnal atmospheric thermal tide. Near this point, the atmospheric torque would have been maximized, being comparable in magnitude but opposite in direction to the lunar torque, halting Earth's rotational deceleration, maintaining a constant day length, as detailed by Zahnle and Walker (1987). We develop a computational model to determine necessary conditions for formation and breakage of this resonant effect. Our simulations show the resonance to be resilient to atmospheric thermal noise but suggest a sudden atmospheric temperature increase like the deglaciation period following a possible “snowball Earth” near the end of the Precambrian would break this resonance; the Marinoan and Sturtian glaciations seem the most likely candidates for this event. Our model provides a simulated day length over time that resembles existing paleorotational data, though further data are needed to verify this hypothesis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aeb2fd6a7dce451ab65c5d03722526de |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-aeb2fd6a7dce451ab65c5d03722526de2025-08-20T02:31:41ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-06-0143115716572410.1002/2016GL068912Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day lengthBenjamin C. Bartlett0David J. Stevenson1California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USACalifornia Institute of Technology Pasadena California USAAbstract During the Precambrian era, Earth's decelerating rotation would have passed a 21 h period that would have been resonant with the semidiurnal atmospheric thermal tide. Near this point, the atmospheric torque would have been maximized, being comparable in magnitude but opposite in direction to the lunar torque, halting Earth's rotational deceleration, maintaining a constant day length, as detailed by Zahnle and Walker (1987). We develop a computational model to determine necessary conditions for formation and breakage of this resonant effect. Our simulations show the resonance to be resilient to atmospheric thermal noise but suggest a sudden atmospheric temperature increase like the deglaciation period following a possible “snowball Earth” near the end of the Precambrian would break this resonance; the Marinoan and Sturtian glaciations seem the most likely candidates for this event. Our model provides a simulated day length over time that resembles existing paleorotational data, though further data are needed to verify this hypothesis.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068912length of daysnowball Earthtides |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin C. Bartlett David J. Stevenson Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length Geophysical Research Letters length of day snowball Earth tides |
| title | Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length |
| title_full | Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length |
| title_short | Analysis of a Precambrian resonance‐stabilized day length |
| title_sort | analysis of a precambrian resonance stabilized day length |
| topic | length of day snowball Earth tides |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068912 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benjamincbartlett analysisofaprecambrianresonancestabilizeddaylength AT davidjstevenson analysisofaprecambrianresonancestabilizeddaylength |