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Now here's a new theory you may not have come across before: a study has suggested that planet Earth has a destructive 鈥渉eartbeat鈥� of geological activity that can trigger extinctions, eruptions and floods.

But before you panic... the scientists behind the study also think it beats every 27.5 million years - and the next one is at least another 15 million years away.

They don't know if the phenomenon is due to an internal cycle in the earth's interior or because of astronomical factors.

Professor Michael Rampino, a Geologist of New York University, carried out the study.

"The dating of geological events has got much better over the last few years. So what we did is look at the record of dates geological events: tectonic events, mountain building, massive volcanic eruptions, climatic changes, sea level fluctuations, biological mass extinctions - there's a lot of data out there... We think the pattern is real."

(Photo: A machine monitors the earth's 'heartbeat'. Credit: Getty Images)

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