Earth's poles shifted surprisingly fast during the age of dinosaurs, ancient sea levels reveal
The location of Earth's geographic poles has changed several times over the past 320 million years in a process known as true polar wander.
Over millions of years, Earth's geographic poles have undergone a process known as true polar wander, shifting due to changes in the planet's crust relative to its spin axis. This phenomenon, distinct from the gradual change in Earth's rotational axis, can significantly impact climate by altering atmospheric circulation patterns and affecting life across the globe.
Historically, scientists believed true polar wander was a slow process, but recent research suggests otherwise. A team from the University of Oslo's Centre for Planetary Habitability, led by Mathew Domeier, analyzed sea level changes across geological time intervals and discovered four episodes of rapid true polar wander. These events occurred during the early Jurassic, late Jurassic—early Cretaceous, mid-Cretaceous, and Oligocene periods.
During these shifts, Earth's surface moved up to 0.6 degrees relative to its spin axis per million years, a pace relatively fast compared to plate tectonics but still much slower for human perception. Domeier's team also concluded that a previous suspected episode of true polar wander around 300 million years ago, coinciding with the formation of the supercontinent Pangea, was likely caused by plate tectonics rather than true polar wander.
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