BRUSSELS: Humans could be wiped out by the formation of a ‘supercontinent’ in the next 250 million years, a new study revealed. The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience, presents the first-ever supercomputer climate models of the distant future.
It forecasts that as continents converge to form one dry, hot, and largely uninhabitable supercontinent, it will potentially lead to a climate tipping point and the mammals’ mass extinction. An increase in planet-heating volcanic activity and increased warming from the sun will lead to unprecedented heat that makes the planet unlivable for humans, it predicts.
Dr Alexander Farnsworth, the study’s lead author and a senior research associate at the University of Bristol, said that the outlook in the distant future appears very bleak. The levels of Carbon dioxide could double current levels in 250 million years’ time.
He added that with the sun also anticipated to emit about 2.5% more radiation and the supercontinent being located primarily in the humid and hot tropics, much of the Earth could be facing temperatures of between 40 to 70°C.
Adaptations like fur and hibernation have assisted mammals to survive extreme cold in the past. However the tolerance to high heat has remained largely constant, the researchers said.
If the climate simulations modeled in the research played out, most mammals would be unlikely to survive the prolonged increased heat.
Although the planet will still be within the habitable zone in 250 million years, the formation of a supercontinent with increased CO2 will make most of the planet uninhabitable for humans and other mammals. The research shows that only somewhere between 8 and 16% of land would be habitable.
Study Predicts Frequent Volcanic Activities
Tectonic processes that cause the planet’s continents to merge would lead to more frequent volcanic eruptions, which release huge carbon dioxide huge amounts. This would contribute to the excessive heat.
