A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience describes how a phenomenon known as a “supercontinent” could end life on Earth. According to the researchers, all the continents on the planet would come together to form a single landmass, which would impact all forms of life. This phenomenon is believed to be due to the movement of tectonic plates.
But don’t panic… this would happen millions of years from now. See below for more information on this study.
A single terrestrial continent: Pangea Ultima and its consequences
Researchers at the University of Bristol, UK, have developed a new climate model to understand the consequences of these changes on the planet.
They concluded that the formation of a “supercontinent”, called Pangea Ultima, could make Earth virtually uninhabitable, leading to the extinction of human life and other remaining mammals.
It should be noted that before the formation of today’s continents, Earth had all of its territory united into a single landmass. This map was called Pangea.
According to the simulations, the planet of this new supercontinent could be extremely hot and dry, practically uninhabitable for humans and mammals, which have not evolved to survive prolonged exposure to excessive heat.
But don’t worry… this is expected to happen in the very distant future, in about 250 million years, and it should start at the equator.
According to research, Pangea Ultima would cause more regular volcanic eruptions, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and warming the Earth, and the Sun would also become brighter, emitting more energy and warming the planet more.
“Temperatures between 40 and 50°C and even higher daily extremes, exacerbated by high humidity levels, would ultimately seal our fate. Humans, like many other species, would die due to their inability to release this heat through sweating to cool their bodies,” says Alexander Farnsworth, a researcher at the University of Bristol and lead author of the paper.
Study uncertainties and concerns
Although there are large uncertainties in predictions for such a distant future, researchers believe this future scenario is “very bleak”, with only 8-16% of the supercontinent’s land habitable for mammals.
Furthermore, CO2 could reach double current levels, assuming humans stop burning fossil fuels now. But “if not, we will see these figures much sooner,” explains Benjamin Mills, professor at the University of Leeds and co-author of the study.
“Although we predict an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, Today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is harmful to human health. This is why it is crucial to achieve net zero emissions as quickly as possible,” added Eunice Lo, researcher at the University of Bristol.
Article references:
‘Supercontinent’ phenomenon could extinguish life on earth; understand. December 21, 2024. Igor de Paiva.
New “supercontinent” could exterminate humans and make Earth uninhabitable, study suggests. September 26, 2023. Amy Woodyatt.
Climate extremes likely to drive land mammal extinction during next supercontinent assembly. 25 de setembro, 2023. Farnsworth, A. et al.
