When Will the Sun Consume Earth, and What Will Happen Before Then?

TL;DR

Earth will gradually lose its familiar landscapes and habitability before eventually being consumed by the expanding Sun. In about 250–300 million years, most familiar mountain ranges will have eroded and the continents may form a supercontinent; around 500 million years from now, that landmass may begin breaking apart as temperatures rise. Read on for the projected sequence of geological change, mass extinction, and life’s retreat.

Transcript

Imagine for a moment what vistas must be out there for us to discover. In our limited explorations so far, we have yet to see even a fraction of the awesome beauty that must be in the solar system. When we explore the surfaces of other planets such as the moon or Mars, we play it safe, going to areas that we are confident won’t pose too much of a r... Read More

Key Insights

• 🛬 Valles Marineris on Mars is a vast canyon system that rivals Earth's wonders.
• 🇲🇭 NASA's Mars helicopter drone, Ingenuity, may allow for the exploration of inaccessible areas on Mars.
• 💅 Earth's beauty is unmatched in the solar system, with diverse geology and abundant life.
• 💆 Earth will undergo several transformations, including mass extinctions, erosion of mountains, and eventual consumption by the Sun.
• 🍃 Earth's fossil fuel reserves may still be present in the future, leaving a marker of human presence.
• 🥺 The cessation of plate tectonics will likely cause a drop in carbon dioxide levels, leading to the extinction of plant species.
• 💁 Complex life on Earth will become simpler, and the animal kingdom will see smaller and more efficient forms.
• 💈 Earth's final stages will involve the retreat of complex life to the poles, with only single-celled organisms remaining.

Questions & Answers

Q: What will happen to Earth in the future?

Earth will undergo mountain erosion, continental reorganization, mass extinctions, and declining habitability as the Sun brightens. Its final stages will leave only single-celled organisms before the expanding Sun eventually consumes the planet.

Q: When will Earth's familiar mountain ranges and features disappear?

About 250–300 million years from now, most familiar mountain ranges and other features are expected to have eroded. New geological features will develop as continental drift continues reshaping the planet.

Q: Will Earth's continents form another supercontinent?

The transcript says continental drift is expected to force all the continents back into a supercontinent in about 250–300 million years. Its precise configuration depends on which model is used.

Q: How could the next supercontinent change Earth's climate?

Its formation will very likely trigger a glacial period. Sea levels would fall, oxygen levels would rise, and global temperatures would decline regardless of humanity's earlier activities.

Q: Could the formation of a supercontinent accelerate evolution?

Crashing and coalescing landmasses, higher oxygen levels, increased volcanism, and a brightening Sun might intensify competition between species. The transcript suggests this could produce a burst of rapid evolution, although the resulting organisms cannot be predicted.

Q: Why is a major future mass extinction expected?

Any burst of evolution is expected to end in a huge mass extinction as Earth's habitability continues to decline. The transcript says life will probably never recover fully, leading to a long period of relentless extinction.

Q: What is expected to happen about 500 million years from now?

The future supercontinent is expected to begin rifting apart again about 500 million years from now. This breakup, combined with greater heating from the brightening Sun, will raise global temperatures, increase rock weathering, and begin evaporating the oceans.

Q: What is Valles Marineris, and how might it be explored?

Valles Marineris is a Martian canyon system more than 4,000 kilometers long, up to 200 kilometers wide, and as deep as 7 kilometers. NASA's successful Ingenuity helicopter opens the way for more capable aerial missions to explore such inaccessible canyons and mountainous terrain up close.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Valles Marineris on Mars is a massive system of canyons that rivals Earth's greatest wonders, but it has yet to be explored up close.

• NASA's Mars helicopter drone, Ingenuity, may eventually allow for missions to explore inaccessible areas, including canyons and mountains.

• Earth's beauty is unrivaled in the solar system, with its diverse geology and abundant life. However, it is transient and will undergo dramatic changes in the future.