Scientists predict a mass extinction event of animals

The study raises questions about the effects of human activities

The next mass extinction may start in 2100 because of the high level of carbon dioxide in the oceans. This was reported by geophysicist Daniel Rothman from the Massachusetts Institute of technology.

The researchers analyzed changes in the carbon cycle over the past 540 million years. They identified the valid values, in case of exceeding of which the carbon cycle became unstable, and living creatures died. Researchers believe that mass extinction will occur if the carbon cycle will change faster, than he will be able to adapt to the ecosystem. “The data does not say that a disaster will happen the next day.

The data suggests that the carbon cycle in the nature will be unstable in the near future, and its behavior cannot be predicted. In the past, such periods of instability led to mass extinctions,” said Rothman. American scientist predicts that it will take about 310 additional gigatons of carbon in the world ocean waters to cross the threshold and enter the “area of instability”. The researcher believes that this volume will be in the ocean already by the year 2100. “Does this mean that the mass extinction will happen at the turn of the century? For such environmental disasters will take some time, about 10 thousand years.

However, if you do not stop the process of accumulation of carbon in the ocean, the sixth mass extinction can happen sooner,” added Rothman. Of course, this is only one view of how the global scenario may be realized, and Rothman pretends that he has all the answers, but he hopes that even this will force humanity to think.

paradox