O extreme heat It should lead to the extinction of all land mammals including humans in 250 million years, when all of Earth’s continents come together again at the height of the tropics. It will be an extremely hot, dry and largely uninhabitable area. Temperatures can reach up to 70°C and humidity is high on this socalled supercontinent Last Pangea.
The first climate models applied to the distant future show that in 250 million years the… Sun It is getting hotter and violent volcanic eruptions are releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
This makes the planet so hot that the vast majority of mammals cannot survive. Only 8 to 16% of the future supercontinent will be habitable. The new study, signed by researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, was published this Monday 25th in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Greece is one of the countries affected by fires and heat waves. Photo: Petros Giannakouris/AP
Over the course of this year, the planet has faced the severe impacts of climate change more frequently. Disasters include heat waves and fires Greece and in Hawaii, there were floods in Hong Kong and Libya, and hurricanes and subsequent storms in Rio Grande do Sul, which killed 49 people. In addition to global warming, the influence of El Niño has amplified climate events, scientists say.
In general, mammals, including humans, are better adapted to low temperatures. For example, some species develop thick fur and organic mechanisms such as hibernation to withstand the coldest times. However, they are less adaptable to extreme heat situations.
A new study from the University of Bristol shows that in 250 million years the sun will be much hotter, threatening the survival of most mammals on Earth
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“The new supercontinent will bring together three problems: the continentality effect (which worsens the heat), an effectively hotter sun, and the increase in the release of.” CO2 in the atmosphere (which contributes to global warming),” says the study’s lead author, Alexander Farnsworth of the University of Bristol. “The result is a much more hostile environment when it comes to food availability.”
Heavy rains caused deaths, damage and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul. Photo: Divulgação/Prefeitura de Passo Fundo
Scientists estimate that the values of CO2 The proportion is expected to increase from the current 400 parts per million (ppm) to over 600 ppm by the time the supercontinent forms. Of course, this applies if humans stop burning fossil fuels. If this does not happen, these values will be reached much earlier.
“Temperatures of 40°C to 50°C, with even higher extremes, along with high humidity will seal our fate,” Farnsworth said. “Humans and other species will become extinct because they cannot protect themselves from such high temperatures through sweat (which cools our bodies).”
The researchers emphasize that the recent increase in average temperatures on the planet is already having an impact on human health. They also say that while global warming is an irreversible consequence of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the last 150 years, action must be taken to ensure that climate change occurs more slowly.