The snowball Earth theory suggests the planet was covered by ice during at least two extreme cooling events, which sparked complex life.
A Scottish and Irish rock formation dating back hundreds of millions of years could be evidence of what scientists call snowball Earth, a new study says.
The snowball Earth theory proposes that the planet’s oceans and land were covered by ice during at least two extreme cooling events between 2.4 billion and 580 million years ago.
These are speculated to have sparked the development of life on Earth – and now researchers believe the Port Askaig Formation in Scotland and Ireland was likely to have been laid down between 662 and 720 million years ago, during such an extreme cooling event.
Scientists point to a section of exposed rock on the Scottish islands called the Garvellachs, which they say shows the transition into snowball Earth from a previously warm and tropical environment.
