article_snippet.sent: But travel there 2.4 billion years ago, and 2.4 billion years’s likely you would have been subjected to Arctic-like temperatures of -40°C (-40°F).
article_snippet.sent: A University of Cologne scientist suggests temperatures at Earth's equator were -40°C (-40°F) 2.4 billion years ago (artist's illustration shown).
article_snippet.sent: Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Herwatz said before 2.4 billion years ago, the climate of Earth Earth was ‘normal’ - similar to the climate our have today.
article_snippet.sent: It may have been that increased glaciation at the poles produced an opposite ‘greenhouse effect’, with the added ice reflecting more of the sun
article_snippet.sent: Volcanic eruptions - or even a supervolcano - could also have reduced the amount of light reaching Earth, allowing temperatures to drop.
article_snippet.sent: It appears that volcanic activity was ultimately responsible for helping Earth breaking free of Earth icy grip, though, increasing global temperatures.
article_snippet.sent: In Earth's past the continents were much closer together, and by 1.1 billion years ago the continents had formed a supercontinent known as Rodinia (left).
article_snippet.sent: Dr Herwatz noted that 2.4 million years ago, the sun was not as strong as the sun is today, allowing the process to take place.
article_snippet.sent: But a second snowball-like even 600 to 700 million years ago, which wasn’t quite as severe, occurred when the sun was almost as strong as the sun is today.
highlights_snippet.sent: University of Cologne scientist led research proposing new theory .
  research proposing new theory suggests temperatures at the equator were -40°C 2.4 billion years ago .
  