Is Earth’s oxygen running out? Supercomputer predicts when it will happen and what it means for humanity |

A recent University of Bristol simulation provides a dire prediction for the far-off future of Earth. It is predicted that within 250 million years, the world will see extremely harsh conditions that will make it uninhabitable for most species, including human beings. The creation of a new supercontinent, Pangaea Ultima, will bring radical environmental developments, mostly brought about by excessive heat, volcanism, and increased humidity. This research provides an insight into the future when survival may become nothing short of futile for mammals, including man, if they do not adapt or acquire new survival techniques.

Pangaea Ultima’s impact on Earth’s surface ecosystems and climate

Simulation proves that the Earth’s continents would eventually merge and create one vast landmass, Pangaea Ultima. Tectonic plates, after hundreds of millions of years, would collide and compress the continents towards each other and create a new supercontinent. The process though gradual would get landmasses separated by centuries of seas and oceans reunited together.
Among the negative effects of this supercontinent is that no oceans as thermal regulators will exist in the new supercontinent and thus no oceans. It’s the oceans which regulate the Earth’s temperature via heat absorption and distribution of heat globally. In the absence of a natural braking system like the ocean, the center of the supercontinent shall be a hot trap with temperature records to have ever existed before. Temperatures in most of Pangaea Ultima would reach as high as 50°C (122°F), rendering the climate almost inhuman for mammals.

Why would the intense heat of Pangaea Ultima bring about mass extinction

The increased luminosity of the Sun in the subsequent 250 million years will only enhance the already severe conditions. As the Sun’s output continues to climb gradually, more and more heat will get locked into the atmosphere of the Earth, aggravating the greenhouse effect. The severe temperatures will take catastrophic tolls on the planet’s surface and atmosphere, pushing Earth toward extreme life-unfriendly conditions.

As the temperature rises, there will be heightened volcanic activity since tectonic plates are compressed and forced against each other to form the supercontinent. Volcanic eruptions will release humongous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which will further contribute to the greenhouse effect towards global warming at a faster rate. Continuous emission in the gaseous state by volcanoes will become more difficult for any living being to adapt to the pace of climate change accelerating at this very rapid rate.

As the world warms, humidity will also rise, and this will come with a deadly combination of heat and humidity. Mammals, such as human beings, sweat in order to cool themselves down. However, during periods of high humidity, the sweat won’t dry fast and mammals will fail to cool. Overheating, hence, results in this instance and could be lethal for such animals which may be unable to handle this situation.

According to these circumstances, 92% of our world’s ground would render our ground inhabitable. The only places where patches of polar ice caps and coastlines might remain inhabitable are places with less severe weather and climactic conditions. Most of the surface earth on our planet will be too inhospitable and hot, however, for mammals and most other organisms. It is with that purpose that specialists are projecting Pangaea Ultima to produce blanket extinctions, unless there is survival adaptation.

Dr. Alexander Farnsworth, one of the top scientists on the study, refers to this as a “triple whammy” for mammals. The extreme heat, rising humidity, and continuous volcanic eruptions will render survival impossible for most species, including human beings. These climatic conditions will compel mammals either to evolve new traits to survive or die.

Most important steps towards human survival on Pangaea Ultima

One of the survival mechanisms that could potentially be effective for humans is adaptation. Humans would, over millions of years, develop characteristics that allow us to survive heat, like improved sweat systems or skin that can resist heat. Evolving into a night-time lifestyle, similar to desert creatures that are nocturnal in order to avoid the heat during the day, would be another possibility.

Technology is also a means whereby human survival is possible. To escape the weather on the extreme surface, humanity can develop cities underground where temperatures would be more balanced and easier to manage. They would assist in protection against undue heat, volcanic ash, and undue surface humidity. Otherwise, human beings would also turn to colonizing outer space with a hope of seeking refuge in other planets if life on Earth became too severe. Through this, the ecological disaster Pangaea Ultima is threatened by would be avoided through planetary migration.

Supercontinent formation and its link to mass extinctions historical context

Throughout Earth’s history, the formation of supercontinents has been classically linked to mass extinctions. During the process of collision of continents, there is greater tectonic activity, thereby climatic disruptions all over the world. Supercontinents like Pangaea have also been known to cause climatic change which led to colossal extinction. Volcanic eruptions, greenhouse gases, and tectonics interacted and produced harsh conditions for life.
Despite the disastrous events that have occurred as a result of supercontinent formation, life on Earth has been so adaptable. Dr. Hannah Davies, a leading scientist in the research, says that even when mass extinction becomes a reality, life has always found a way to adapt to the new situation. Though several species will lose their existence, others will be born, as the history of Earth shows that life has always succeeded in evolving itself to match the ever-changing situation of Earth.
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