Amazon Gets Nourishment From The Dust Of Ancient African Fish
- 10 years ago
The Amazonian Rainforest is among the lushest places on Earth, and it appears that some of that verdant landscape is due to the presence of dust from an ancient African fish.
The Amazonian Rainforest is among the lushest places on Earth, and it appears that some of that verdant landscape is due to the presence of dust from an ancient African fish.
How did it get there?
It all started thousands of years ago, before the Sahara was formed.
Prior to the expanse being a desert, part of it was a palaeo-lake known as Mega-Chad. That’s where the fish lived.
Mega-Chad eventually dried up and over time the fish it left behind broke down and became part of the Earth.
Every year for quite some time now, tons of the Sahara’s cover is taken up by the wind and carried over the Atlantic. Among the places it lands is the Amazon.
Now a team of British researchers examining the composition of Amazonian soil have discovered the origins of the mysterious phosphorous it contains.
Through an in-depth analysis of dust taken from a key part of the Sahara they determined that the African region is the mineral’s original location and the fish are its source.
Unfortunately they also discovered that the fertilization supply is finite. They hope to conduct further studies to determine how much longer it will last.
The Amazonian Rainforest is among the lushest places on Earth, and it appears that some of that verdant landscape is due to the presence of dust from an ancient African fish.
How did it get there?
It all started thousands of years ago, before the Sahara was formed.
Prior to the expanse being a desert, part of it was a palaeo-lake known as Mega-Chad. That’s where the fish lived.
Mega-Chad eventually dried up and over time the fish it left behind broke down and became part of the Earth.
Every year for quite some time now, tons of the Sahara’s cover is taken up by the wind and carried over the Atlantic. Among the places it lands is the Amazon.
Now a team of British researchers examining the composition of Amazonian soil have discovered the origins of the mysterious phosphorous it contains.
Through an in-depth analysis of dust taken from a key part of the Sahara they determined that the African region is the mineral’s original location and the fish are its source.
Unfortunately they also discovered that the fertilization supply is finite. They hope to conduct further studies to determine how much longer it will last.