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Worst case is a second venus if the process truly runs away and no longer relies on biochemical greenhouse gases but purely chemical processes that work beyond
by zaarn 7y ago
Worst case is a second venus if the process truly runs away and no longer relies on biochemical greenhouse gases but purely chemical processes that work beyond 100C.
If the permafrost melts it'll release a lot of methane and CO2, in part captured and in part from material beginning to rot a few thousand years too late.
Humanity might survive at the south pole, but we'll more likely go extinct in a worst case. Unless it's a venus scenario, life itself will go on.
- adrianN 7y agoCO2 concentration has been a lot higher in the past (e.g. before all the coal deposits formed) without turning Earth into Venus. I think we can safely say that we'll never turn into another Venus. At the absolute worst we'll reach a moist hothouse scenario: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_greenhouse_effect#Earth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_greenhouse_effect#Eart... The more likely worst case is climate similar to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene%E2%80%93Eocene_Thermal_Maximum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene%E2%80%93Eocene_Therm...
- zaarn 7y agoVenus is the worst case, I never said this would happen at current CO2 levels but it could happen if they continue to elevate and chemical processes put out more CO2 while biochemical processes stop using up CO2 due to high heat. There is a true absolute runaway that could theoretically be achieved in an absolute worst case scenario.
- pojzon 7y agoWe, humans, will be long gone before we reach pollution levels required to change Earth to Venus.