Cold, which became extinct mammoths was caused by volcanic eruptions. This was reported in the study by American scientists published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
Experts made this conclusion based on the study of volcanic deposits, discovered in located in a hilly area of Texas (USA) cave Hall. Discovered in the caves of ancient rocks have an age of about 20 thousand years, this object was discovered in 2017. After massive volcanic eruptions in the atmosphere were raised slurry spray, which prevented penetration of sunlight. In the end, within five years the planet has experienced a global cooling of the climate.
Previously, scientists believed that the mystery of the death of the mammoth associated with large meteorite that hit the Earth about 13 thousand years ago. It was considered that due to the collision the temperature of the planet has dropped by about three degrees Celsius. In addition to mammoths as a result of natural disaster killed some species of horses and camels, previously common in North America.
The study says that in discovered deposits were found elements such as iridium, ruthenium, palladium, platinum and rhenium. A similar ratio of elements more typical of the products of a volcanic eruption than space objects. If this global cooling was caused not only by volcanic eruptions. Scientists drew attention to the fact that during this period there was also a decrease in ocean temperatures and increasing snow cover.
Earlier, Japanese scientists said a new ice age will come on Earth one hundred thousand years. Experts have noticed that the timing of climate change depend on the Association of the fluctuations in the amount of sunlight and radiation with the change of the tilt angle of Earth’s axis to the plane of the orbit, and also from the emission of carbon dioxide.