41,000 years ago, Earth came close to an apocalyptic scenario when the planet’s magnetic field almost completely collapsed. This chapter is known as the Laschamps Excursion, and it basically left the planet without its natural shield against radiation from space.
Imagine it, northern lights illuminating the Mediterranean… It’s incredible to picture, but the reality is that at that time the planet was being bombarded by cosmic radiation.
As dangerous as it is fascinating, right? Well, it could happen again…
Earth’s shield collapsed
The Laschamps Excursion was not a full pole reversal (where north and south switch places), but it was a temporary collapse of the magnetic field.
For several thousand years, the strength of Earth’s magnetism dropped to less than 10% of normal levels, leaving our planet completely exposed to space.
Auroras, which normally appear only near the poles, reached temperate regions where this phenomenon had never been seen before. Those lights that kiss the earth (as Koda would say in “Brother Bear”) reached the Mediterranean… Beautiful but deadly, that radiation caused genetic mutations, skin problems, and a higher mortality rate among many species.
Did our ancestors survive?
Yes, they survived, but they had to get creative. According to Science Advances, many communities took refuge in caves, others improved their clothing to protect themselves better from the sun, but what stands out most is that they may have used red ocher (which they also used for cave paintings) as a natural sunscreen, so much for being a modern invention!
They not only survived that crisis, but they also evolved culturally: cave art, rituals, and the first forms of symbolic thought all flourished in the midst of chaos.
“That cosmic crisis may have been the origin of our curiosity about the sky and what lies beyond”
Could it happen again?
Yes, just like in fashion, everything in nature is cyclical. In the last two centuries, the magnetic field has weakened significantly, and scientists are concerned that this could be the beginning of another similar process or even a full pole reversal.
What would happen if something like that occurred?
Things would be very different. We depend on the electrical grid, telecommunications, and satellites… If those systems collapsed, we as a society would collapse within hours.
Are we preparing for it?
There is no exact date, of course, but scientists are already on alert, and space agencies constantly monitor the Earth’s core for signs of change.
Fortunately, we have science and technology on our side to get ahead of such a situation, they could reinforce satellites, protect power grids, and create protocols…
A lesson from the past
A natural disaster that tested human resistance and resilience. That generation learned that adaptation was key to survival, because the sky could be both a friend and a great threat.
Today, it seems that the magnetic field is once again slowly weakening, but now we have knowledge, science, and plenty of sunscreen to be prepared. So if one day the sky lights up again over the tropics, it won’t be a show, it will be the start of something very bad.
“As Earth’s magnetic field weakens again, history could repeat itself. The next major geomagnetic disturbance isn’t a matter of “if,” but “when.” And perhaps, when the sky lights up again, we’ll remember that we’ve been there before”
Would we survive like we did 41,000 years ago?
You can reed more about the Earth’s magnetic field by clicking this link.