Scientists have conducted new research on the future of the Earth, reporting that in approximately one billion years, a critical shortage of oxygen necessary for human life may occur on our planet. This was announced based on an article published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience by Britain's BBC Sky at Night.
Kazumi Ozaki (from Tohoku University in Japan) and Christopher Reinhard (from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the USA) studied the climatic conditions and the evolution of biochemical processes on Earth using computer models over 400,000 times. Their calculations revealed that the amount of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere could sharply decrease within the next billion years.
"For many years, the lifespan of life on Earth has been considered mainly in relation to the gradual increase in solar radiation and global carbonate-silicate geochemical processes. From this theoretical perspective, the decrease in carbon dioxide (SO2) levels in the atmosphere and the constant rise in temperature are inevitable," said one of the researchers, Dr. Kazumi Ozaki.
According to the scientists, it has long been known that the Earth's biosphere could completely disappear due to extreme warming and a shortage of SO2 necessary for photosynthesis, which will occur in about two billion years. However, the exact timing and manner of oxygen's disappearance remained unknown.
This new research indicates that the process of deoxygenation will begin in approximately one billion years, and the Earth's atmosphere will become almost entirely devoid of oxygen in a very short time. The scientists state that this situation will resemble the period before the Great Oxidation event (the enrichment of the atmosphere with oxygen) in Earth's history.
The researchers note that the Earth will have a very short period in its history with an oxygen-rich atmosphere. During only 20-30% of Earth's existence will it have the oxygen-rich atmosphere we see today.
This research allows for a reevaluation of the stability of life on Earth. At the same time, the scientists emphasize the necessity for humans to preserve the environment and use planetary resources wisely. It is becoming increasingly clear that the conditions favorable for life on Earth are limited in time.
