A new study predicts that in 250 million years a new supercontinent called ‘Pangaea Ultima’ could form. This is believed to be caused by a merged Afro-Eurasian plate crashing into the Americas and it is thought the supercontinent will be located near the equator (however the precise location is not yet known).
Due to the continents merging and then drifting apart, it is theorised there will be increased volcanism. This, combined with the sun being expected to be 2.5% more luminous, will cause extreme warmth with up to 92% of Earth becoming uninhabitable for mammals. Similarly, more volcanic activity will cause higher concentrations of carbon dioxide to enter the atmosphere therefore enhancing the greenhouse effect and further increasing temperatures worldwide. It is predicted that the average global temperature will be over 40 degrees Celsius with the interior areas of the supercontinent becoming desert.
Despite the new extremities, some think parts of the planet may be habitable. Alexander Farnsworth, a Bristol University paleoclimate scientist who conducted the research into this topic, said “Areas in the northern and southern peripheries could be survivable”. It is unknown if humans will be alive at this time however if they are it could be possible that we will adapt ways to live and overcome the new environment. However most mammals will find the world impossible to survive and reptiles with increased tolerance to heat could take over. Some areas such as those that are coastal may be cooler so could be relatively habitable. Due to the unpredictability of where the supercontinent will form it is impossible to know the precise conditions, for example if it forms near the equator (as is currently predicted) it will be too hot whereas if it is more polar there could be a chance for mammals to survive.
“Areas in the northern and southern peripheries could be survivable”..
On the other hand, some scientists theorise that other factors may make the supercontinent more habitable such as formation near a pole and as the planet ages, the amount of heat released by its interior may decrease – lessening the amount of volcanic eruptions compared to the predictions.