The formation of a new “supercontinent” could wipe out humans and all other mammals still alive in 250 million years, according to a new study that has shocked the international community. Using for the first time supercomputer climate models of the distant future, scientists at the University of Bristol in the UK predicted how climate extremes would intensify after the world’s continents merge to form a supercontinent, Pangaea Ultima, in approximately 250 million years.
What Would the Extinction of Humans on the Supercontinent Look Like?
Specialists found that the supercontinent would be extremely hot, dry, and virtually uninhabitable for humans and mammals that are not sufficiently evolved to deal with prolonged exposure to excessive heat. The researchers simulated temperature, wind, rainfall, and humidity trends for the supercontinent and used models of tectonic plate movement, ocean chemistry, and biology to calculate carbon dioxide levels.
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They found that the formation of Pangea Ultima would not only lead to more regular volcanic eruptions, spewing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and warming the planet but also that the sun would become brighter, emitting more energy and further warming the Earth, the experts noted in the paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
“The newly emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy composed of the continentality effect, a hotter sun, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said Alexander Farnsworth, senior research associate at the University of Bristol and lead author of the paper.
“Widespread temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius and even greater daily extremes, compounded by elevated humidity levels, would ultimately seal our fate. Humans, along with many other species, would perish due to their inability to dissipate this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies,” Farnsworth added.
Increased heat, Farnsworth noted, would create an environment with no food or water sources for mammals.
When Would the End of the World Happen?
While there are major uncertainties in making such long-term predictions, the scientists noted that the outlook appears to be “very bleak,” with only about 8% to 16% of the Earth’s supercontinent being habitable for mammals. According to the report, carbon dioxide levels could double from current levels, although that calculation was made under the assumption that humans stop burning fossil fuels now. “Otherwise, we will see those numbers much, much sooner,” said Benjamin Mills, professor of Earth system evolution at the University of Leeds and co-author of the report.
This bleak outlook is no excuse for complacency when it comes to addressing the current climate crisis, the report’s authors warned. Human-caused climate change is already causing millions of deaths worldwide each year.
“It is vitally important not to lose sight of our current climate crisis, which is the result of human emissions of greenhouse gases,” said co-author Eunice Lo, a researcher in climate change and health at the University of Bristol.
The Consequences of Climate Change
Climate change is a natural phenomenon that has occurred throughout the Earth’s history, but in recent decades, it has experienced an accelerated increase due to human activity. The main causes of current climate change are emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which come from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and intensive agriculture.
The effects of climate change include an increase in global temperatures, more frequent and intense extreme weather events (such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods), changes in precipitation patterns, ocean acidification, and loss of biodiversity, among others. These effects have a significant impact on the environment, the economy, and people’s quality of life. Therefore, in the University of Bristol study, the consequences would be fatal and this would be a key factor.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva News
