Ever wondered when life on Earth will end? A supercomputer has the answer

A collaborative study conducted by NASA and Japan's Toho University has employed sophisticated supercomputers to model Earth's habitability over the next billion years. The study presents a comprehensive timeline projecting the eventual death of

life on Earth

. The process will be fueled by steady but irreversible environmental changes, such as the Sun's growing heat, which will accelerate

climate change

and modify atmospheric conditions.

The research identifies the gradual, persistent change of the Earth's environment, eventually rendering it uninhabitable, with immense effects on ecosystems and the persistence of life, much more than the ongoing human-induced climate crisis.

Earth will die slowly as the sun gets hotter, study finds

The study dictates that ultimately responsible for the eventual death of Earth as a habitable world is the Sun. In the next billion years, the Sun will increasingly turn up its energy. This expansion in the strength of the Sun is a normal component of the life cycle of the Sun and although it supports life on Earth at present, its added heat will ultimately overcome the planet's capacity to keep things in place that are right for life.As the Sun's radiation intensifies, it will increasingly warm Earth's surface, driving temperatures past levels that can sustain even the most resilient forms of life. The scientists project that life on Earth will be unsustainable by the year 1,000,002,021, when the planet will have conditions so extreme that it can no longer sustain even the most resilient of organisms. This is an example of the long-term nature of Earth's eventual loss of habitability.

How Earth's decline will begin long before its end

Although the final

end of life on Earth

will happen over a billion years from now, the planet's decline toward that goal will start much earlier. As the energy output of the Sun increases, a number of key changes to Earth's atmosphere and environmental conditions will initiate the slow, irreversible decline of life.

Perhaps the most profound impact of the Sun's escalating radiation will be a radical diminishment of the oxygen content in Earth. When temperatures increase, Earth's ecosystems will be tremendously challenged to make and hold oxygen. This reduction in oxygen levels will further intensify the troubles for all forms of aerobic life, as these will have difficulty thriving in oxygen-scarce environments.

The study projects that the Earth's temperatures will rise exponentially as the Sun continues to release additional heat. The warming not only will cause warmer global temperatures but also will have a devastating impact on air quality. Air will become increasingly polluted due to increased heat, harming plant and animal life further. The synergy of hot and cold temperatures and low-quality air will be among the principal indicators marking Earth's slow move away from becoming a livable environment.

How solar activity is already shaping Earth's future

The models of the study also imply that solar radiation will influence Earth's climate in significant ways. The heightened solar activity will have impacts on weather patterns, leading to conditions that will render life progressively unsustainable. The study points out that the process will take place gradually over a long time, implying an almost unnoticed but consistent change.The research points out that we are already experiencing initial signs of the alterations that will eventually cause Earth to become uninhabitable. Solar events, including solar storms and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), have been happening with greater frequency. These occurrences, where the Sun emits big doses of energy and charged particles, have tangible impacts on Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.In fact, the most powerful solar storm in 20 years was recorded recently, marking a significant event in the ongoing shift toward a more hostile environment. These increased solar activities are not just theoretical projections—they offer real-time evidence of the long-term transformations that could make Earth inhospitable. The increasing severity of these events indicates that the world is already experiencing repercussions from the solar shifts that will keep getting progressively worse for the next billions of years.

Impact of climate change on Earth’s long-term habitability

Though the timeline of the solar-induced evolution in the research is measured in billions of years, the current human-caused climate crisis might be able to hasten the environmental stress at much earlier timelines. Human action, such as the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation, has already introduced major environmental alterations, like rising global temperatures and melting polar ice caps.The fast accelerating pace of climatic change revealed the possibility of the Earth environment becoming progressively inimical well before the predicted billion-year duration in solar models. Rising heat, enhanced violent weather occurrences, and increasingly turbulent ecosystems are indicative of decreasing capabilities of the planet to

preserve life

at significantly quicker rates than have been originally envisioned. Human-induced climate change, in such a context, is tipping the already unavoidable impacts of the Sun's future heat emanation into a double whammy on Earth's long-term habitability.

Exploring technological solutions to preserve life as Earth declines

In spite of the far-off timeline of Earth's eventual uninhabitability, scientists stress the need for preparation and adaptation. With centuries of technological progress in front of us, it is imperative that humanity works on solutions that can assist in keeping life on Earth alive for as long as possible. A number of proposals for technological interventions have been made:One of the solutions is the construction of enclosed life-support systems and artificial habitats. These systems can offer controlled surroundings that shield organisms from the decaying conditions of Earth, permitting humans and other organisms to carry on living in isolated, closed ecosystems. Building such habitats for extending the period of Earth's habitability might be a palliative measure as a response to global environmental transformations.

How space colonisation could ensure human survival after Earth’s decline

In response to Earth's eventual loss of habitability, scientists are also looking to other planets for solutions. Long-term space colonization is becoming more popular, with other planet missions, including to Mars, being considered as reasonable solutions for saving human life when Earth is no longer habitable.NASA, and private industry such as SpaceX, are working to develop the technologies and methods of space exploration and colonization. These efforts will be used to create human settlements on other planets, guaranteeing humanity's survival long after Earth's ability to support life ends. Space colonization may be a key method of guaranteeing that the human species continues to survive as Earth approaches the end of its life-supporting capabilities.The research by NASA and the University of Toho is a grim reminder of Earth's ultimate destiny, formed by both natural forces of the cosmos and man-made environmental change. While the demise of life on Earth is still in the distant future, the gradual, slow processes described in the study make it evident that preparation for these inevitable transformations is the key. Whether through technological innovations like life-support systems or by venturing into space to establish new colonies, humanity must begin planning now to ensure its long-term survival in the face of a changing planet.Also Read | What is the ‘Black Hole Bomb’ theory and how scientists brought it to life in the lab