Earth's Future: A Sudden Drop in Oxygen Predicted to End Life as We Know It

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A study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that Earth's atmosphere could soon experience a rapid decline in oxygen levels, possibly ending life as we know it. Scientists, including environmental researcher Kazumi Ozaki from Toho University in Japan, predict this dramatic shift will occur before a moist greenhouse stage in Earth's climate system takes hold, which will leave the planet devoid of surface water.

The research posits that the atmospheric oxygen crisis will emerge as the Sun brightens and carbon dioxide levels drop significantly—potentially leading to a deoxygenated environment similar to conditions over two billion years ago. "The atmosphere after the great deoxygenation is characterized by an elevated methane level, low CO2, and no ozone layer," Ozaki stated.

This study has implications for the search for extraterrestrial life, suggesting that oxygen may not be a reliable indicator of habitability on other planets. The life span of Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere could represent only 20-30% of the planet's overall history, according to the researchers.

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