Exploring the Connection Between Space Weather and Human Behavior
Our first meeting was a bit awkward. One of us is an archaeologist who studies how past peoples interacted with their environments. Two of us are geophysicists who investigate interactions between solar activity and Earth’s magnetic field. When we first got together, we wondered whether our unconventional project, linking space weather and human behavior, could actually bridge such a vast disciplinary divide. Now, two years on, we believe the payoffs – personal, professional, and scientific – were well worth the initial discomfort.
Our collaboration, which culminated in a recent paper in the journal Science Advances, began with a single question: What happened to life on Earth when the planet’s magnetic field nearly collapsed roughly 41,000 years ago?
Weirdness When Earth’s Magnetic Shield Falters
This near-collapse is known as the Laschamps Excursion, a brief but extreme geomagnetic event named for the volcanic fields in France where it was first identified. At the time of the Laschamps Excursion, near the end of the Pleistocene epoch, Earth’s magnetic poles didn’t reverse as they do every few hundred thousand years. Instead, they wandered, erratically and rapidly, over thousands of miles. At the same time, the strength of the magnetic field dropped to less than 10% of its modern-day intensity.
So, instead of behaving like a stable bar magnet – a dipole – as it usually does, the Earth’s magnetic field fractured into multiple weak poles across the planet. As a result, the protective force field scientists call the magnetosphere became distorted and leaky. The magnetosphere normally deflects much of the solar wind and harmful ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise reach Earth’s surface.
So, during the Laschamps Excursion when the magnetosphere broke down, our models suggest a number of near-Earth effects. While there is still work to be done to precisely characterize these effects, we do know they included auroras – normally seen only in skies near the poles as the Northern Lights or Southern Lights – wandering toward the equator, and significantly higher-than-present-day doses of harmful solar radiation.
Human Responses to Ancient Space Weather
For people on the ground at that time, auroras may have been the most immediate and striking effect, perhaps inspiring awe, fear, ritual behavior, or something else entirely. But the archaeological record is notoriously limited in its ability to capture these kinds of cognitive or emotional responses.
Researchers are on firmer ground when it comes to the physiological impacts of increased UV radiation. With the weakened magnetic field, more harmful radiation would have reached Earth’s surface, elevating the risk of sunburn, eye damage, birth defects, and other health issues.
In response, people may have adopted practical measures: spending more time in caves, producing tailored clothing for better coverage, or applying mineral pigment “sunscreen” made of ochre to their skin. As we describe in our recent paper, the frequency of these behaviors indeed appears to have increased across parts of Europe, where effects of the Laschamps Excursion were pronounced and prolonged.
At this time, both Neanderthals and members of our species, Homo sapiens, were living in Europe, though their geographic distributions likely overlapped only in certain regions. The archaeological record suggests that different populations exhibited distinct approaches to environmental challenges, with some groups perhaps more reliant on shelter or material culture for protection.
Importantly, we’re not suggesting that space weather alone caused an increase in these behaviors or, certainly, that the Laschamps caused Neanderthals to go extinct. But it could have been a contributing factor – an invisible but powerful force that influenced innovation and adaptability.
Cross-Discipline Collaboration
Collaborating across such a disciplinary gap was, at first, daunting. But it turned out to be deeply rewarding. Archaeologists are used to reconstructing now-invisible phenomena like climate. We can’t measure past temperatures or precipitation directly, but they’ve left traces for us to interpret if we know where and how to look.
But even archaeologists who’ve spent years studying the effects of climate on past behaviors and technologies may not have considered the effects of the geomagnetic field and space weather. These effects, too, are invisible, powerful, and best understood through indirect evidence and modeling. Archaeologists can treat space weather as a vital component of Earth’s environmental history and future forecasting.
Likewise, geophysicists, who typically work with large datasets, models, and simulations, may not always engage with some of the stakes of space weather. Archaeology adds a human dimension to the science. It reminds us that the effects of space weather don’t stop at the ionosphere. They can ripple down into the lived experiences of people on the ground, influencing how they adapt, create, and survive.
The Laschamps Excursion wasn’t a fluke or a one-off. Similar disruptions of Earth’s magnetic field have happened before and will happen again. Understanding how ancient humans responded can provide insight into how future events might affect our world – and perhaps even help us prepare.
Our unconventional collaboration has shown us how much we can learn, how our perspective changes when we cross disciplinary boundaries. Space may be vast, but it connects us all. And sometimes, building a bridge between Earth and space starts with the smallest things, such as ochre, a coat, or even sunscreen. A team of researchers from the University of Michigan, University of Alberta, and GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences have made a groundbreaking discovery about the influence of space weather on human behavior on Earth 41,000 years ago. This unusual scientific collaboration has shed light on how cosmic events can impact life on our planet.
The study, originally published in The Conversation, explores the link between weird space weather and its effects on ancient humans. Associate Professor of Anthropology Raven Garvey, Research Scholar Agnit Mukhopadhyay, and Research Scientist Sanja Panovska collaborated on this research to uncover new insights into the connections between space phenomena and human activities.
The team found that a series of cosmic events, including solar flares and geomagnetic storms, occurred around 41,000 years ago. These events disrupted the Earth’s magnetic field and created unusual space weather conditions that may have influenced human behavior at the time. The researchers analyzed archaeological and paleontological evidence to support their findings, revealing a correlation between these cosmic events and changes in human activity.
One of the key points of the study is the discovery of ancient cave paintings that depict unusual patterns and symbols that coincide with the timing of the cosmic events. These findings suggest that ancient humans may have been influenced by the strange phenomena in the skies, leading them to create art that reflected their experiences.
The researchers also used advanced scientific techniques to analyze ice core samples from Greenland, which provided further evidence of the unusual space weather events that occurred 41,000 years ago. By studying the chemical composition of the ice cores, the team was able to confirm the timing and intensity of these cosmic events, linking them to potential changes in human behavior.
Overall, this research highlights the interconnectedness of space weather and human activities on Earth. By studying ancient evidence and using modern scientific methods, the team has uncovered a fascinating link between cosmic events and human behavior. This study opens up new avenues for exploration in the field of anthropology and sheds light on the ways in which external forces can shape our lives.
The republished article from The Conversation provides valuable insights into this groundbreaking research and invites further exploration into the impact of space weather on human history. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of our past, studies like these remind us of the intricate connections between our planet and the cosmos.
