All articles tagged with #oxygen depletion
A NASA-backed study predicts that in about one billion years, Earth's atmosphere will lack enough oxygen to support life due to the aging Sun consuming atmospheric CO₂, leading to a barren, desert-like planet with only anaerobic microorganisms surviving, highlighting the planet's fragile and temporary nature.
Scientists predict that in about a billion years, Earth's atmosphere will transition back to a state rich in methane and low in oxygen, resembling the conditions before the Great Oxidation Event. This extreme drop in oxygen levels will likely suffocate most life forms, including humans. The study has implications for the search for habitable planets outside our solar system, suggesting that other biosignatures besides oxygen should be considered. The research, part of the NASA NExSS project, highlights that Earth's oxygen-rich habitable period may only last 20-30% of its lifespan, with anaerobic microbial life potentially persisting afterward.
Thousands of Menhaden fish were found dead on a beach in the Gulf Coast of Texas due to warmer water, which can't hold as much oxygen as cooler water. Shallow waters warm more quickly and if Menhaden become trapped, they will suffer from hypoxia, a state where oxygen levels are insufficient to maintain homeostasis. Crews have begun the removal process but will need the tide to recede several more feet before all the fish can be removed.
Tens of thousands of fish have washed ashore on the Gulf Coast of Texas due to a "perfect storm" of bad conditions, including high temperatures, which starved the fish of oxygen. The warming of Gulf Coast waters through climate change could have contributed to the fish kill. The dead fish, mostly Gulf menhaden, play a critical role in the local ecosystem, and their loss could have significant environmental impacts. Local water conditions are expected to improve as ocean waves add oxygen back into the water and as fish swim away from areas with low oxygen.
Millions of dead fish have washed up in the Darling River near the small Australian town of Menindee, causing a terrible smell and prompting an emergency cleanup. The New South Wales’ Department of Primary Industries believes depleted oxygen levels and receding floods are the likely cause of the mass fish deaths, which have also been reported on the Darling-Baaka River. State agencies have established an emergency operations center to coordinate the cleanup and provide clean water to residents, while also releasing higher-quality water where possible to boost dissolved oxygen levels in the area.
Rising sea levels during the Devonian period, 419.2 and 358.9 million years ago, caused oxygen depletion and hydrogen sulfide expansion, leading to one of Earth's most significant mass extinctions, according to a study. The research team analyzed more than 100 core samples drilled from black shale deposits in the Bakken Formation, finding evidence of "anoxic events," where waters were completely depleted of oxygen. The study authors argue that past mass extinctions can help scientists understand the consequences of our actions today, as rising sea levels and nutrient influx could lead to a massive loss of life in our planet's oceans.
Rising sea levels during the Devonian period, 419.2 and 358.9 million years ago, caused oxygen depletion and hydrogen sulfide expansion in the oceans, leading to one of Earth's most significant mass extinctions, according to a new study. Researchers found evidence of "anoxic events" in black shale deposits in the Bakken Formation, which recorded the environment within its chemical makeup. The study authors warn that past mass extinctions can help scientists understand the consequences of our actions today, as rising sea levels and nutrient influx could lead to a massive loss of life in our planet's oceans.