Hypothesis says we have extra 1.3 billion years on Earth

William Atkins
Sunday, 14 June 2009 20:09

Science - Space

In other words, less atmospheric pressure allows more heat to escape into outer space, which helps to keep global temperatures lower.

They further state in their abstract, “… we show that atmospheric pressure is another factor that adjusts the global temperature by broadening infrared absorption lines of greenhouse gases. A simple model including the reduction of atmospheric pressure suggests that the life span of the biosphere can be extended at least 2.3 Ga into the future, more than doubling previous estimates." [Ga stands for gigaannum, or one billion years]

They contend that nitrogen is being naturally reduced on Earth. So, this process, which counterbalances global warming, should help to extend the time that we and other living beings have on Earth; that is, before we “fry and die.”

Some scientists are already verifying if nitrogen is less concentrated in the atmosphere today than is was in the far past. They are checking gas bubbles formed in ancient lava flows to determine atmospheric pressure in the long ago past.

Seeking out planets similar in size to Earth around other stars besides the Sun, what are called exosolar planets (or exoplanets) could help to learn more about how other planets have fared.

And, such discoveries—and an extra 1.3 billion years—give us more chances to find intelligent life in the universe.

They write, “This has important implications for seeking extraterrestrial life in the Universe. Space observations in the infrared region could test the hypothesis that atmospheric pressure regulates the surface temperature on extrasolar planets.” [Abstract]

The CalTech article states “Increasing the lifespan of our biosphere—from roughly 1 billion to 2.3 billion years—has intriguing implications for the search for life elsewhere in the universe. The length of the existence of advanced life is a variable in the Drake equation, astronomer Frank Drake's famous formula for estimating the number of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. Doubling the duration of Earth's biosphere effectively doubles the odds that intelligent life will be found elsewhere in the galaxy.”

One of the researchers stated, “It didn't take very long to produce life on the planet, but it takes a very long time to develop advanced life…. Adding an additional billion years gives us more time to develop, and more time to encounter advanced civilizations, whose own existence might be prolonged by this mechanism. It gives us a chance to meet." [CalTech]