Earth's Oxygen Depletion: Long-Term Threat to Life Confirmed by NASA and Toho University
Recent studies supported by NASA and conducted by Toho University reveal that the end of life on Earth will likely result from a gradual loss of atmospheric oxygen, not from climate change, meteorite impacts, nuclear war, or asteroid strikes. According to simulations, in about one billion years, the Sun will become more luminous, disrupting Earth's delicate atmospheric balance. This will lead to a breakdown of the carbon cycle, reduction in plant life, and a decline in oxygen production. Over time, Earth's atmosphere will resemble its pre-Great Oxidation Event state, becoming rich in methane and greenhouse gases but poor in oxygen, making it uninhabitable for complex life. The process is slow, unstoppable, and based on stellar evolution, with the planet eventually entering a long, biologically barren phase. The planet's final collapse is projected to occur after Earth is engulfed by the Sun's red giant phase in 4-5 billion years. This long-term perspective emphasizes humanity's current challenges like climate change and biodiversity preservation, as the atmospheric oxygen depletion is a cosmic-scale event far beyond immediate concern.
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