A study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that Earth's oxygen levels will drastically decline in about 1 billion years, making the planet uninhabitable for humans and most complex life. Researchers used a supercomputer to model Earth’s atmospheric changes and found that rising solar radiation will eventually break down carbon dioxide, reducing photosynthesis. This decline in oxygen would wipe out most aerobic life forms, including humans.
However, this scenario is on a much longer timescale than current climate crises. The more immediate threats to humanity include global warming, habitat destruction, and resource depletion.
Why Will Oxygen Run Out?
- Increasing Solar Radiation: As the Sun ages, it will become hotter and more luminous, leading to higher levels of carbon dioxide breakdown in the atmosphere.
- Declining Photosynthesis: The loss of CO₂ will make it harder for plants and cyanobacteria to carry out photosynthesis, which produces oxygen.
- Rise of Methane: As oxygen disappears, methane levels will rise, transforming Earth’s atmosphere into one similar to early Earth—rich in nitrogen and methane but nearly devoid of O₂.
Impact on Life
- Most aerobic (oxygen-dependent) life will perish.
- Anaerobic microbes (which thrived in the oxygen-poor past) might take over.
- The oceans will become toxic due to sulfur-releasing bacteria.
- Eventually, Earth will resemble its pre-oxygenated state, much like it was 2.4 billion years ago.
When Will Humans Be Affected?
While this process is predicted to occur over a billion years, human civilization faces more immediate existential threats like climate change, resource depletion, and potential asteroid impacts.
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