What Would Happen If Earth’s Entire Landmass Were Submerged Under Water Over 200 Years
Peter Schmiedchenof the seriesWhat Ifvividly pondered what would happen if Earths entire landmass were submerged under water over the course of 200 years.
Sure, our blue planet is already 70% ocean. But that 30% of land is the difference between life and death. If Earth suddenly became completely submerged, humanity's chances of survival would be slim.
He predicts that in the first days, there would be firestorms, windstorms, and heatwaves that would melt the world's ice, including the polar caps, down to water. Coastal cities would be in danger, but inland cities would be safe for a bit.
By the end of the fifth day, however, underwater volcanoes would awaken and spark earthquakes, urban destruction, and a second lethal heatwave. After a week, most of the Earth would be underwater. Only mountain ranges would remain. By day 60, a mass extinction event would begin.
It would be a mass extinction event on a level the Earth hasn't seen in 66 million years. ...With no land and all the ocean evaporation, there will be more carbon dioxide in the air. The ocean would absorb that, triggering a chemical reaction that would turn the oceans more acidic. Now, that would be lethal for marine life.
After two years, 70% - 90% of species, including humans, would be gone. And after 200 years, it would be near total extinction of all life on Earth, although there might be some survivors to keep the human species going.
In a more positive scenario, a few hundred thousand of us would be left to struggle to survive for a generation or two....Even in the most positive scenario possible, Earth would house about 10 million people scattered in small communities all over the world. As humanity continued to live on the ocean, some evolutionary mutations would occur.
Schmiedchen also addresses human emotions, wealth unbalance and how it all equals out in the end.
Survivors would raid stores for supplies. Fight over housing, medicine, food and fuel. ... In this world, everyone would be left to fend for themselves. The evacuation zones would become sites of mass chaos and panic. As people fled these walls of water, many would be trampledand die before ever glimpsing safety....We'd build boats out of anything, we could get our hands on. The most organized and richest groups would move to subsea units. ...The wealthy would leave their yachts behind. Above-water survivors would take over these luxury boats, barges and cruise ships.