The strength of Earth's magnetic field seems to rise and fall hand-in-hand with the abundance of oxygen in its atmosphere, a study of geological records spanning the last half billion years has found. Explaining the link could help to reveal fundamental trends in the evolution of life on Earth ' and could show astronomers the most promising places to look for signs of complex life on other planets. But it is so far unclear whether Earth's magnetism plays direct a role in keeping oxygen levels high ' and sustaining animal life ' or whether both are influenced by a third, unidentified mechanism. 'We don't really have a good explanation for it,' says Benjamin Mills, a biogeochemist at the University of Leeds, UK, and co-author of the study, published in Science Advances on 13 June1. But the study suggests 'some potential causes that are exciting and potentially testable', says Aubrey Zerkle, a biogeochemist at the University of St Andrews, UK. Knowing how Earth's deep interior could...
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