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Geology; November 2004; v. 32; no. 11; p. 929-932; DOI: 10.1130/G20750.1
© 2004 Geological Society of America
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Geologic constraints on the chaotic diffusion of the solar system

Heiko Pälike*,1, Jacques Laskar*,2 and Nicholas J. Shackleton*,3

1 Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden, and Godwin Laboratory, University of Cambridge, New Museum Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3RS, UK
2 Astronomie et Systèmes Dynamiques, Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Éphémérides CNRS UMR8028, 77 Avenue Denfert-Rocherau, 75014 Paris, France
3 Godwin Laboratory, University of Cambridge, New Museum Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3RS, UK

The correlation of Earth's orbital parameters with climatic variations has been used to generate astronomically calibrated geologic time scales of high accuracy. However, because of the chaotic behavior of the solar system, two initially close calculations of Earth's orbit diverge exponentially and have a large uncertainty beyond several million years in the past. This chaotic behavior is related to a combination of angles in the precession motion of the orbits of Earth and Mars, {theta}, which currently is in resonance. How long {theta} stays in libration critically depends on the dynamical model and initial conditions for the solar system. Here we show that geologic data can differentiate between astronomical solutions that do and do not exhibit a transition in {theta} since 40 Ma and that sediments can thus provide a history for the evolution of {theta}. We find that the chaotic transition of {theta} from libration to circulation did not occur after ca. 30 Ma. We can thus constrain the chaotic diffusion of the solar system in the past, and our results provide new and challenging constraints for astronomical models.

Key Words: Ocean Drilling Program • JOIDES Resolution • Leg 154 • Leg 199 • Site 929 • Site 926 • Site 1218 • solar system • chaotic diffusion • orbits • astronomical calibration




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