Friday, July 31, 2026
Science

How long can plants survive on Earth? New model suggests up to 2 billion more years

Vegetarians need not worry yet—plants will be on Earth for a long time to come. But not forever. The sun will ultimately determine the long-term existence of life on Earth. Its total energy output, called luminosity, has been increasing over epochs and eons by about 10% every billion years—determini...

How long can plants survive on Earth? New model suggests up to 2 billion more years
Image: Phys.org
Vegetarians need not worry yet—plants will be on Earth for a long time to come. But not forever. The sun will ultimately determine the long-term existence of life on Earth. Its total energy output, called luminosity, has been increasing over epochs and eons by about 10% every billion years—determining much of Earth's surface temperature. This will continue for billions of years in the future.

Originally published at Phys.org

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