Welcome back to The End of the World! This continuing series explores different Armageddon scenarios and covers the whats, whens, wheres and hows of the event. In this installment, we will visit an insipid scenario wherein the Earth gets so hot that it literally burns away all of the planets life. Global warming has been a common topic for years but few realize the horrific implications of global warming gone too far. The scenario, commonly referred to as Runaway Greenhouse, will be taken to its most extreme to illustrate one possible way the end could come for all of Earths life forms. Like usual, I will be presenting scientific evidence, but please keep in mind that this will mostly be speculation and is in no way a promise or prediction of future events. Also, as in previous articles in the series, this work is being done purely for entertainment purposes, and any self-destructive activities or doomsday cult proceedings are not condoned nor are they the responsibility of the author or the magazine.

In a greenhouse, sunlight passes through the glass panes to warm the interior. Heat rises but is trapped inside by the glass. Heaters can be used as a substitute for sunlight and the effect is the same. The planetary greenhouse works a little bit differently. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the surface and the infrared waves are reflected back into space. However, some of this infrared energy is partially absorbed and re-emitted into the lower atmosphere by water vapor and carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) keeping the heat from escaping and causing the atmosphere to be warmer and reflecting that heat back at the surface. So in the planetary greenhouse the surface and the atmosphere are warmer. It is this effect that allows life to flourish on our planet. Without the greenhouse effect the Earth would be about 60-degrees Fahrenheit cooler, on average.

There are many parts to the complex ecosystem here on Earth. The sun, clouds, oceans, plants, albedo and the chemical makeup of the atmosphere are all obvious factors. Scientists use complex computer models to attempt to ascertain what might happen, but there are many things they still cannot account for or measure in a discernable way. One of the more worrisome threats is synergistic feedback. This is when a series of events triggers something else to happen that feeds back into the original problem. For example, there is about twice as much carbon stored in dead organic matter in the soil as there is in the atmosphere and it is slowly converted to CO2 and other gases by microbes. The rate of decomposition could become more rapid due to temperature increases, thereby accelerating the return of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and feeding back into the original problem. This is synergistic feedback or a feedback loop. There are several that are easily identified and undoubtedly many others that are not. If one of these loops were to become active it would probably be well beyond our abilities to stop it.

Well, thats nice, but something like this is far off in the future, right? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Some people with vested interest in fossil fuel concerns might tell you that none of this is real and nothing is happening. Some more moderate individuals and organizations say the world is definitely getting warmer, but they are unsure of what it means or giving more modest estimates to the increase in temperature. A recent model on a supercomputer predicted that land temperatures would be approximately 9F higher on a global average within the next 50 years. That is a significant gain. Considering the global average is about 60F now, it is easy to apply that extra 9 to your local temperature and think about the ramifications. It is now accepted by the International community that something has to be done to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are being released into the atmosphere. However, some countries that dont want to lose money are less inclined to cooperate or accept what is happening to the world.

OK, so now we know basically how the Earth is heated, but what happens when it gets too hot? Lets apply some science and speculation. Lets assume that the atmosphere were to heat up by more effectively trapping infrared radiation due to an increased concentration of greenhouse gases. Lets also assume that several feedback loops are triggered and things really get cooking. Fresh or pure water boils at about 213F and water mixed with salt varies based on the saline content and atmospheric pressure, but lets say it boils at about 220F. We also know that it would take a while to bring an entire ocean to the point that it would boil because of the volume of water. Lets suppose, for the sake of our scenario, that the ocean did start to boil. From the temperature alone, much of the sea life would already be gone. Plankton, an important remover of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, is sensitive to temperature and would not make the transition. The loss of plants in the ocean would be another sort of feedback loop, accelerating the process. At a point when the oceans are boiling, the greenhouse effect has become a runaway system. The oceans boiling would create more water vapor that would, in turn, feed back into the loop. Once the oceans had boiled away, the atmosphere would stabilize at a much higher density and temperature with all of the water now in the atmosphere. If this temperature was to get high enough, it could trip another round of heating by actually freeing the carbon dioxide locked inside of rocks. The chemical process that occurs and breaks down the rocks by changing the carbon from a solid directly to a gas is called sublimation. The rocks would literally evaporate.

If all the worlds carbon, water vapor and other greenhouse gases were freed into the atmosphere, the temperature and environment would become much like our sister planet, Venus. A thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and an average surface temperature somewhere around 900F would make a Hell out of the Earth. Needless to say, the plants, animals and life as we know it would end.

All right, so we know what could happen as an end result, but what would happen if we were living during these events? When the heat and humidity get high, it puts people at risk for heat cramps, exhaustion, heat stroke and death. Hyperthermia is the opposite of hypothermia and occurs when the core temperature of the body gets too high. Serious hyperthermia typically starts when the core body temperature reaches 105-107F. The effects of heat on the body from outdoor activity come in stages starting with heat cramps, which are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. While being the least severe, the cramps are an early signal that the body is having trouble with the heat. The body isnt able to get rid of heat as well when there is a lot of moisture in the air because the body cannot evaporate sweat. Humidity is a dangerous factor for people when combined with heat as low as 80F. Heat exhaustion occurs due to body fluids being lost through heavy sweating, by being in an excessively hot or humid location. People who have heat exhaustion can have headaches, upset stomachs and feel weak. Blood flow to the vital organs decreases as the body sends more to the skin in an attempt to keep its core temperature down. This results in a form of mild shock. If not treated, the victim may suffer heat stroke. Heat stroke, which is life threatening, is when your temperature control system, which produces sweat to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. With a Heat Index of around 90F, people are cautioned against outdoor activities. People become acclimated, but that will only get you so far and will not save you if the temperature rises too high.

In addition to the effects of heat on the body, are the indirect effects that a hot environment can have on the human species. Diseases like malaria could swell to epidemic proportions. Intensified weather, including hurricanes, tornados and tropical storms, would be felt more widely around the world and be much stronger on average. The melting of polar ice caps and ice sheets would lead to a rise in sea level, which would put more coastal areas at risk of flooding and also increase the likelihood of sickness and disease associated with flooding events. The alteration of rainfall and weather patterns would cause a reduction in the yield of crops in their current locations and would lead to the grain belt moving more northward in the United States. Livestock, milk and cattle reproductions all suffer losses during excessive temperature periods. Water quality is degraded by high temperature, causing many fish and plant life losses and an increase in algae that can lead to red tide and serious damage to the ecosystem.

These effects extend beyond the natural world into our industrial paradise, as well. Paved roads and concrete are susceptible to temperature extremes, with concrete actually exploding when it gets too hot. Airplanes lose lift when its too hot, train rails kink and distort, cooling systems are strained and refrigerated goods are more likely to spoil. Power transmission lines sagging from high heat can short out the power system, with increased demand for electrically powered cooling in peoples homes and workplaces heating up the lines even more. The water system is further strained when it is very hot, as water is used to cool heat-sensitive structures like bridges and other metal structures, making it unavailable or in short supply for use in putting out fires.

Eventually, though, in our runaway scenario, all of this would be moot, as the Earth would become inhospitable to plant and animal life and would truly become hotter than Hell.

Piper

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