Scientists talked about the influence of Mars on the Earth's climate

The Earth's climate has been changing for millions of years under the influence of the gravity of neighboring planets. A new study has shown that even the small planet Mars has a significant impact on the Earth's orbital and climate cycles. This was reported on December 10 in the journal Science X.

The Earth's climate has fluctuated between glacial periods and warm eras for millions of years due to minor changes in the orbit and tilt of the planet's axis. These fluctuations, known as Milankovich cycles, occur because the Earth does not revolve around the Sun in isolation: the gravity of neighboring planets gradually changes the path of the orbit, the angle of the axis and the direction of the poles.

Previously, it was believed that Jupiter and Venus play a key role in these cycles. New simulations conducted by the team of scientist Stephen Kane have shown that Mars, despite its lower mass, also has a significant impact on Earth's climatic rhythms. In a series of computer simulations, scientists varied the mass of Mars from zero to tenfold and tracked changes in Earth's orbital characteristics.

It turned out that the 405-thousand-year cycle of the Earth's eccentricity persists regardless of the mass of Mars, but shorter 100-thousand-year cycles, which determine the alternation of ice ages, directly depend on the mass of the Red Planet. As the mass of Mars increases, these cycles lengthen and intensify, reflecting the closer interaction of the inner planets.

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Of particular importance is the so-called "great cycle" lasting 2.4 million years, which generates long-term climatic fluctuations. This cycle exists only due to the sufficient mass of Mars to create the necessary gravitational resonance. The tilt of the Earth's axis also reacts to the influence of Mars: the familiar 41-thousand-year cycle of the Earth's shape lengthens with increasing mass of the planet, which changes the rate of growth and retreat of the ice sheets.

The discovery helps to understand the influence of neighboring planets on the Earth's climate and assess the habitability of exoplanets: the presence of a massive satellite or a neighboring planet in the right configuration can stabilize the climate or create favorable seasons for life.

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On December 8, the journal Medical Xpress reported that elevated temperatures are becoming not only a climate risk, but also a factor that can slow down the early development of children. Exposure to extreme heat reduces the likelihood of achieving key cognitive skills at the age of three or four.

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