After Earth’s Atmosphere Becomes Like Mars’; Humans Will Be Like In The Martian Movie
The Earth's atmosphere is changing everyday. With each passing minute, the Earth's atmosphere is losing 400 pounds of hydrogen and 6.6 pounds of helium to the space. This phenomenon of atmospheric escape is the reason why life on Mars went extinct.
Earth's Atmosphere is Changing for the Worse
Anjali Tripathi, Astrophysicist at Harvard University, revealed the phenomenon of the natural effect called atmospheric escape and its possible outcomes. According to Tripathi, this atmospheric escape will be disastrous for the Earth's atmosphere, and eventually, the time will come when life forms would not be able to survive in it. That is when life will be wiped out of the surface of Earth.
In a recent TED talk, available on YouTube, Anjali Tripathi disclosed that, "The atmosphere is much more than just tenuous veneer around our planet. It allows life to flourish on Earth. It's such an amazing phenomenon that the fact it is disappearing should frighten you."
Living like Matt Damon in The Martian Movie
In The Martian movie, Matt Damon's character Mark Watney thrived to live on the Red Planet when he was accidentally left stranded by his co-crew members on the manned mission to Mars. It was due to a fierce storm, which made the others believe that he was dead. He then utilized his knowledge to survive on the hostile planet that was so far away from home. Therefore, people can just imagine how difficult it is to live on the Red Planet.
According to The New York Post, Mars hosted life and was surrounded with a gaseous envelope just like Earth's atmosphere. It was teeming with life and had weather systems just like Earth. It is believed that atmospheric escape in the Mar's atmosphere caused the complete disappearance of hydrogen, leaving behind only oxygen.
This oxygen caused oxidation or rusting of the surface of Mars, leaving it red and lifeless. This is the reason why it is referred to as the Red Planet.
According to Anjali Tripathi, the same process will be repeated with Earth. Atmospheric escape from the Earth's atmosphere has already started and will speed up in the "far future."
Once that happens, "What we can look forward to, or at least prepare for, is the fact that in the future, the Earth is going to look more like Mars," Anjali Tripathi said. "Our hydrogen from water breaking down will escape into space more rapidly, leaving us with a dry, reddish planet," she added.
Fortunately, it will take a few billion years before all the hydrogen from Earth's atmosphere could escape into outer space. Till then, humans can enjoy the bounties of the planet Earth and prepare for the worst.
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