Earth's atmosphere: Oxygen decline threatens future life
Scientists predict that in the coming years, Earth's atmosphere will undergo significant changes. Their analysis indicates that the oxygen level may drop considerably, posing a potential threat to many forms of life on our planet.
According to forecasts, the anticipated changes may occur in about a billion years. This timeframe gives humanity the opportunity to develop technologies that will allow for the colonisation of other planets. However, if humans do not leave Earth before these changes occur, it could result in the complete destruction of humanity.
Another billion years
In the distant future, the composition of Earth's atmosphere will resemble what it was about 2.4 billion years ago, before the so-called Great Oxidation Event. Scientists reached these conclusions using advanced simulations of our planet's biosphere.
Experts explain that over time, the Sun is becoming hotter, resulting in the release of more energy. Consequently, there is a reduction in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as it breaks down due to heat absorption.
Significant changes
Experts report that in a billion years, the concentration of carbon dioxide will be so low that photosynthetic organisms, including plants, will not be able to survive and produce oxygen. The extinction of these organisms will lead to a further reduction in the oxygen level in Earth's atmosphere.
The research results, published in 2021 in the journal "Nature Geoscience," remain relevant. This research was conducted by Kazumi Ozaki from Toho University in Funabashi and Chris Reinhard from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Both scientists were involved in the NASA NExSS (Nexus for Exoplanet System Science) project, which aims to search for planets capable of supporting life.
Chris Reinhard stated that in a billion years, the oxygen level could decrease by as much as a million-fold, while the amount of methane could increase by about 10,000 times. He expressed this opinion in a conversation with the portal New Scientist.
Earlier forecasts by scientists suggested that intense solar radiation would cause the disappearance of oceans within about 2 billion years. However, the new model, based on average results from almost 400,000 simulations, indicates that life on Earth will first perish due to the drop in oxygen levels.
