Scientists predict global extinction of the Earth: when is it predicted

Modern environmental problems can provoke irreversible changes in the global ecosystem, up to the mass extinction of living organisms on the planet. And this scenario is not fiction – it has already happened in the history of the Earth.

One of the largest catastrophes was the Permian-Triassic extinction, also known as the Great Extinction. About 252 million years ago, 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrates disappeared from the face of the Earth. The main cause of the catastrophe is believed to be massive volcanic eruptions, which released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – about 100 thousand billion metric tons. This has led to sharp global warming, depopulation of the oceans due to lack of oxygen, and a violation of the planet's carbon balance. This is reported by Interesting Engineering.

A team of scientists led by Dr. Maura Brunetti of the University of Geneva studied fossilized plant remains, including spores, pollen, and large samples, to reconstruct a picture of the ecosystems of the time. Their research showed that the temperature on the planet jumped by 10 degrees Celsius.

To better understand climate change at the Permian-Triassic boundary, the scientists created a map of the Earth's ancient geography and correlated fossil plants with six major biomes, including tropical, temperate, and desert zones. Comparing the results with climate models allowed them to trace how the climate changed in different regions of the planet.

It turned out that cold weather prevailed in the late Permian, but the transition to the Triassic was accompanied by chaotic climate fluctuations, and later the temperature stabilized at a level that was 10 degrees higher than previous values. As a result, tropical deserts turned into dense forests, and temperate vegetation spread closer to the poles, displacing the tundra. It was these global climate changes that became the basis for further mass extinctions.

Such dramatic changes demonstrate how dangerous the so-called climate tipping points are. Dr. Brunetti warns that if current CO₂ emissions are not reduced, humanity could reach the level that caused the Permian extinction in less than three thousand years – namely, by 2700, which is an extremely short time by historical standards.

At the same time, scientists recognize that the existing data still has limitations. New findings of fossils and improved climate models are needed to get a clearer picture.

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