Scientists from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom have utilized cutting-edge computer climate models to predict the occurrence of extreme climate phenomena following the eventual merging of the world's continents into one giant landmass, estimated to take place within approximately 250 million years.
Published in the journal Nature Earth Sciences, the study envisions a new supercontinent dubbed “Pangaea Ultima,” a future Earth with an inhospitable environment, devoid of humans and mammals. The researchers' computer simulations factored in temperature, wind, precipitation, humidity trends, tectonic plate movements, ocean chemistry, and biology to calculate carbon dioxide levels. The resulting projections paint a grim picture of a supercontinent experiencing heightened volcanic activity, releasing significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This, coupled with an intensification of solar radiation, is expected to raise Earth's temperature to extreme levels.
Lead researcher Alexander Farnsworth warned that humans will face extinction due to rising temperatures, rendering the environment uninhabitable by depleting food and water sources for mammals.
The study suggests that carbon dioxide levels may double, with the sun emitting 2.5% more radiation, subjecting large portions of the Earth to temperatures ranging between 40 and 70 degrees Celsius. Most of the planet will become scorching, creating conditions unsuitable for life.
Farnsworth emphasized that averting this catastrophic scenario is contingent on discontinuing the use of fossil fuels. Professor Benjamin Mills of the University of Leeds, an expert involved in the report, emphasized that accelerated fossil fuel consumption could expedite humanity's demise on Earth.
Co-author and climate change researcher at the University of Bristol, Eunice Lu, stressed the urgency of addressing the current climate crisis resulting from human emissions of greenhouse gases. While the predicted uninhabitable state is set for 250 million years in the future, the study underscores the importance of immediate action to combat the current environmental challenges.
The study leveraged the most advanced climate models generated by supercomputers, offering insights into the dramatic climate changes expected when the world's continents eventually converge to form a barren and uninhabitable supercontinent.