Good news—we have extra time before the Sun ends life on Earth
Summary
Scientists studied how long life can survive on Earth as the Sun becomes hotter over billions of years. They used a new 3D computer model to explore how changes in temperature and carbon dioxide affect the planet’s plants and climate far in the future.Key Facts
- The Sun will brighten over about 5 billion years and eventually become a red giant.
- Earth’s temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels affect how long life, especially plants, can survive.
- Weathering of rocks helps control CO2 by removing it from the atmosphere and storing it underground.
- Two scenarios were studied: one where temperature stays the same but CO2 drops, and one where CO2 stays the same but temperature rises.
- If weathering is weak, temperatures rise significantly in 1.5 to 2 billion years, killing most land plants.
- If weathering is strong, CO2 drops very low after 1 billion years, starving plants of CO2 needed for photosynthesis.
- Some plants and marine life that use bicarbonate might survive longer, up to about 1.8 billion years.
- The study helps understand Earth’s long-term climate and the future of life during the Sun’s brightening phase.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.