Scientists from Toho University and NASA have conducted a study to determine how long Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere will last. They built a computer model that simulated the planet’s climate, geological processes, and the sun’s behavior over time.
According to their findings, Earth’s atmosphere will start to disappear in about 1 billion years due to rising temperatures and the sun’s increasing energy output. This process is expected to be triggered by a significant drop in carbon dioxide levels as CO2 absorbs heat and breaks apart.
As a result, plants would struggle to survive within just 10,000 years, leading to their complete disappearance and subsequently affecting oxygen production for animals on land and in the ocean. Additionally, methane levels are predicted to rise, further accelerating the downfall of oxygen-breathing creatures.
In about 7.2 billion years, Earth will remain habitable with its surface water intact, but the period when it has an oxygen-rich atmosphere is relatively short, making up only around 20% to 30% of that time frame.
This study highlights the importance of understanding Earth’s atmospheric conditions and how they change over time. For scientists searching for alien life in the galaxy, being aware of this information is crucial to avoid mistakenly assuming a planet is lifeless due to its atmospheric composition at any given point in its history.
Source: https://eladelantado.com/news/farewell-earth-losing-oxygen-date