A group of American researchers has described the most realistic scenarios of doomsday and destruction of all mankind. Their findings are published in the journal Science.
According to scientists, the most probable are three scenarios – a sharp jump in solar activity, Earth’s collision with an asteroid or a SUPERVOLCANO eruption.
In the first case, the Earth could threaten a powerful stream of high-energy particles generated by the coronal mass ejection (coronal mass ejection, CME) which is a substance in plasma from the solar corona.
In this case, would be virtually destroyed all human civilization, which today is completely dependent on electricity and computer technology.
Scientists remember that in 1989, the CME has led to a blown transformer in the U.S. state of new Jersey and blackouts in the canadian province of Quebec. In the case of a powerful solar flare will stop all life-support systems of humanity that uses electricity.
According to researchers, the likelihood of such events in the next 10 years is 12 percent.
However, this disaster of humanity can survive. We are talking about natives of tribes leading a primitive life and the hermit, hiding from civilization. But a meeting of the Earth with a large asteroid and not worry about them.
Computer models demonstrate that the fall to Earth of the cosmic body with a diameter of one kilometer will raise dust clouds that would deprive the surface of the solar light for several months. A “nuclear winter” will not be able to survive any one of the highly developed organisms.
The third scenario – the eruption of the volcano. According to researchers, this happens at least once every 100 thousand years. If this happens now, the continents can be covered meter layer of ash will be killed crops, destroyed buildings, clogged the plumbing.
For example, according to archaeologists, the Toba eruption in Indonesia 74 thousand years ago that put humans on the brink of extinction.
The researchers argue that the modern development of technology to prevent disastrous consequences for all three scenarios, but this requires coordination of efforts of all humanity.
