Experts have given their verdict on when humanity will be wiped out – and what will cause the mass extinction event.
We’ve been warned for years about the impact of global warming on the survival of humanity as we know it, with rising temperatures leading to worries over global food supply, rising sea levels and areas of the planet becoming too hot to live.
Even at the age of 97, Sir David Attenborough is making an ‘urgent final plea’ to everyone when it comes to the survival of humankind.
Scientific experts also update the apocalyptic-sounding Doomsday Clock every year. It shows us how close humanity is to suffering global catastrophe, caused by ourselves, with the world currently ‘profoundly unstable’.
Now, the first-ever supercomputer climate models of the distant future have been revealed following a study published in Nature Geoscience and led by the University of Bristol.
It doesn’t make good reading, with Earth set to become a massively hot, dry and largely uninhabitable supercontinent with all land mass set to merge together into one giant plot of ground.
It’ll create a world with more volcanic eruptions emitting huge plumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere; further warming up the planet. The sun is also set to become hotter and brighter in the sky, warming Earth more than now to bring about average temperatures of between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius.
Desolate landscapes would be found everywhere (Getty Stock Images)
Lead author of the 2023 study – Dr Alexander Farnsworth, Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol – said: “The newly-emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet.
“The result is a mostly hostile environment devoid of food and water sources for mammals. Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high levels of humidity would ultimately seal our fate.
“Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies.”
Cracked earth from warm temperatures (Getty Stock Images)
The study found that even if humanity stopped using fossil fuels right now, nothing could stop the extinction event. So, even if humanity somehow survives until the event, we’re talking total wipeout.
The only saving grace is this is predicted to happen in 250 million years time.
Co-author Dr Eunice Lo, Research Fellow in Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol, said: “It is vitally important not to lose sight of our current Climate Crisis, which is a result of human emissions of greenhouse gases.
Earth with a barren supercontinent (Getty Stock Images)
“While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health. This is why it is crucial to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible.”
Professor Benjamin Mills at the University of Leeds said: “We think CO2 could rise from around 400 parts per million (ppm) today to more than 600 ppm many millions of years in the future. Of course, this assumes that humans will stop burning fossil fuels, otherwise we will see those numbers much, much sooner.”
Not all life with die out, but it’s bad news for mammals in general.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Environment, Science, Space, Viral, World News, Global Warming
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
