Although it is unlikely that humans will see it, Earth's land mass will move together in 250m years to create the next supercontinent. The sun will be brighter by this time and the Earth's rotation will slow down. This will make a day approximately 30 minutes longer. How will life be on the future Earth?
Michael Way from the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, and his colleagues used computer models to travel back in time. Two scenarios were explored: Aurica, a low-latitude supercontinent that will develop in 250m years' time, and Amasia, a high-latitude northern supercontinent with an Antarctic subcontinent approximately 200m years away.
Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Geosystems published their findings. They found that high-altitude land in Amasia would promote snowfall and create ice sheets. The bright white supercontinent will reflect more heat from the sun and create a climate closer to the Earth's last glacial maximum. The more tropical Aurica, on the other hand, will have less snow and ice with an average temperature of 20C (68F). Exoplanet-hunters who want to find habitable neighboring planets can learn more about Earth's evolution by understanding how it might change.
