Tom's Blog on Life

The information you’re referring to comes from a study published in the journal Science on February 19, 202115. The research was led by scientists from the University of New South Wales and other institutions, who analyzed ancient New Zealand kauri trees (Agathis australis) to develop a detailed record of atmospheric radiocarbon levels across the Laschamps Excursion, a geomagnetic reversal that occurred approximately 41,000 to 42,000 years ago12.

The study found that the geomagnetic field minimum around 42,000 years ago, combined with Grand Solar Minima, caused substantial changes in atmospheric ozone concentration and circulation. These changes led to synchronous global climate shifts that resulted in major environmental changes, extinction events, and transformations in the archaeological record15.

The researchers named this event the “Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event” or “Adams Event,” during which Earth’s magnetic field dropped to only 0-6 percent of its normal strength3. This weakening of the magnetic field allowed more cosmic radiation to penetrate the atmosphere, potentially contributing to climate changes and environmental shifts that could have influenced early human behavior and possibly played a role in the disappearance of Neanderthals24.