Supercontinent will make life on Earth almost impossible

The end of humanity is sealed. Researchers assume that the Earth will be too warm for life on Earth. Until now, calculations had dated the point at which there would be no more people, plants or animals to about 500 million years in the future.

A new study by researchers from the University of Bristol, Leeds and Bern shows that it could have been far too hot and dry for life on Earth much earlier. The scientists, led by climate researcher Alexander Farnsworth, published their findings in the journal Nature.

Accordingly, in about 250 million years, extreme temperatures, radiation and the collapse of the food supply await us. The reason for this is that the continents are growing together to form a large supercontinent, which scientists call Pangea Ultima.

As the continents shift, volcanic activity on Earth increases to the extent that about twice as much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as it is now. In addition, the radiation from the sun, which in 250 million years will be much higher than now and will lead to extreme temperatures.

The result would be a global temperature increase of up to 30 degrees Celsius compared to values ​​before the start of industrialization in the early 19th century. In many regions of the supercontinent, temperatures are expected to rise above 60 degrees Celsius – hostile values ​​for mammals.

By comparison, similar conditions last existed about 260 million years ago. At that time, a mass extinction occurred, with an estimated 70 to 90 percent of species on our planet disappearing.

The researchers admit that their prediction cannot be accurate due to the long calculation period. What is certain, however, is that the shifting of land masses will play a decisive role in the habitability of the Earth.

The research can therefore also be important in the search for an alternative to Earth. Until now, astronomers have only looked for exoplanets where the distance to the sun was right and water was present. Farnsworth’s researchers’ current research shows that plate shifting on alien planets also needs to be taken into account.