What if the Earth was completely without water? What can happen if there is no clean water left on Earth.

Thinking about the end of the world, scientifically speaking, is pretty fun. Activation of everything nuclear weapons, which is in the world, would lead to a deadly result for mankind, but if you really want to see the apocalypse, then for this you must wait for the eruption of all the volcanoes in the world.

The fact is that there are many more ways to bring the planet to ruin than people are able to realize. Many of these options are the result of global warming. And one of these scenarios is the disappearance of water.

As expected, without water, people will die very quickly, but what will happen to our planet? Will only dusty deserts remain here, or will life, as they say, find a way out? Let's try to imagine it.

Weird Scenario

So, imagine that in the current year of 2017, somewhere between the Earth and the Moon, a giant fleet of alien explorers appeared. Their inhabitants behaved very stupidly in last years because they burned too many carbonaceous fossil fuels, which led to an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases. This caused a warming climate on their planet, where the temperature rose so quickly that all the water on it evaporated. However, the inhabitants of this other planet did not give up and developed a complex mechanism to steal water from another celestial body. For example, from ours. For the sake of simplicity, let's imagine that they can take water from everything except living things. Since the world leaders will not be able to do anything about it, we will hopelessly lose to this extraterrestrial aggressor in the struggle for our main resource.

Pale brown planet

The first thing we notice is the disappearance of all rivers, lakes, ponds, puddles and oceans. All life within them would perish within hours, and the continents we live on would suddenly rise above these newly created pools, most of which would have a depth of 3.8 kilometers.

The Arctic, in fact, will cease to exist, and the hidden terrain under it will resemble jagged cracks. Antarctica, freed from its icy duvet, will become a rocky barren land full of mountains and unfathomably large canyons.

Clouds on our planet will also disappear, as will rain and snow, hurricanes and thunderstorms will evaporate into oblivion, and our pale blue Earth will turn into a brown-green planet (although it will not remain green for long). The atmosphere will be dominated by winds, and sandy deserts spread throughout the planet.

Eventually the vegetation will disappear. Animal life, including us, will soon follow suit and turn to dust.

However, all these changes are obvious. But you probably guessed that there is more to the fate of the world than fragile Homo sapiens.

warming

The oceans are the world's largest sinks of carbon. Forget about the atmosphere. Most of the thermal energy captured in the planet's atmosphere greenhouse gases stored in the oceans. In the past century alone, these giant bodies of water have prevented the Earth from warming to an absolutely staggering 36°C, rather than the 1°C that actually happened.

Planets with too many carbon dioxide and methane and lack of water are likely to experience the effect of global warming.

What happened on Venus

Take, for example, Venus. Geologically, it is very similar to our world, and was probably once covered with water. However, this water was clearly not enough to cope with all the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere, most of which probably appeared as a result of ancient and powerful volcanic eruptions.

Some of the carbon dioxide was absorbed by the water, but eventually the planet got too hot and the water evaporated into space. This left Venus with no significant carbon sink other than the atmosphere, so our neighbor continued to heat up until it reached its current surface temperature (around 462°C). Without water to cover the Earth, our planet would suffer the same fate.

Do not forget that the vegetation will also die out. Without plants that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, the world would warm even faster.

What lies beneath the surface

Do not forget that most of the earth's water is not just on the surface.

It also hides underground, within the crust of tectonic plates that are constantly drifting, coming together and colliding with each other. A lot of this water is hidden in the mantle, since it makes up 84 percent of its volume. Remove this water and the Earth becomes completely unrecognizable.

When a dense plate collides with a less dense one, the latter sinks under it. As the mantle heats it up, it dehydrates, meaning the water evaporates and rises up into the wedge of the mantle between the two plates.

Through a series of volcanic kinks, this creates a magmatic plumbing system in the earth's crust that produces explosive volcanoes, such as cascades along the western United States or Mount Fuji. Without water, this process cannot continue, and there will be far fewer volcanoes on the planet.

Identical plate tectonics

So, we already know that one tectonic plate “obeys” another because it is denser, but what happens if two plates that are made of the same material collide?

We can see this in India and Eurasia. These two equally dense continental plates crash into each other, causing their edges to rise and form the Himalayas.

It is believed that even when two tectonic plates have approximately the same density, only one effectively sinks under the other due to the weight of the sediment-filled ocean above it.

Without an ocean, none of the plates would be weighed down by any accumulated precipitation. Therefore, the two plates will continue to collide with each other.

So, if hypothetical aliens were to take all the oceans on the planet today, any two oceanic plates or two continental plates would eventually crash into each other, forming a huge series of mountain ranges.

In fact, if the Earth were to completely lose non-biological water, it would quickly become an overheated desert world with continent-sized chasms and ridiculously high mountains.

Hi baby

Life, however, could find a way out. To be precise, microscopic life, that is, one that does not rely on water to survive.

It is likely that life originally needed water to form, and almost all forms of life today would not be able to exist without it. But in the process of evolution, microbes known as extremophiles appeared. Incredibly hot environment, acidity and lack sunlight or the waters seem to be suitable for some of these absolutely insignificant life forms.

Some of them exist within the earth's crust and thrive using carbon monoxide to produce nutrients. A NASA team recently discovered that extremophiles also hide in giant crystals and exist in a state of suspended animation.

To be continued?

So, if all the water on Earth suddenly disappears, humanity will be doomed, and the planet will turn into giant desert with insane topography. Nevertheless, life will not disappear, and extremophiles will take our place. Will they ever evolve into sentient beings, one can only guess.

Aerospace Agency scientists analyzed satellite data and assessed climate change in certain regions. Futurologists do not exclude that in the near future wars will go for water

Drought in the USA. Photo: EPA/TASS

In the next hundred years, the United States will be hit harder by climate change than Russia. Many cities and even entire states will be left without water due to global warming. These are the new data of the American aerospace agency NASA.

NASA specialists are processing satellite data, trying to assess future climate changes in certain regions of the planet and even in specific cities. According to the forecast, by the end of the century, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could almost double its current level, and then, according to NASA, the average daily temperature in cities such as Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles and Mumbai will rise to + 45°C.

As early as last year, US scientists warned President Obama that climate change would be a full-blown disaster for the US.

How serious is this threat? The head of the Climate and Energy Program of the Foundation answers wildlife Alexey Kokorin.

Alexey Kokorin Head of the Climate and Energy Program at the Wildlife Fund“Wide areas of the US will indeed suffer from shortages fresh water. How severe the deficit will be in a large area of ​​the United States, this is the East Coast, and the middle, and part of the West Coast, depends heavily on how global greenhouse gas emissions go. Of course, the US needs to be very careful about the future of water supply. They are now very actively putting pressure on other countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, primarily on China. To a lesser extent, to India, and they themselves are making a lot of efforts.

California, for example, has already faced this problem. In March, it was reported that there was only a year of water left in the storage facilities. And in May, Sunny State Gov. Jerry Brown called for an urgent reduction in water use by at least 25%. The water is not turned off yet, but the restrictions are already noticeable, Andrey Bulgak, a resident of California, told Business FM.

Andrey Bulgak Californian“Persistently they tell everyone not to waste water just like that. I haven’t seen official information, maybe they don’t want to scare, but apparently the information is leaking, and they say that if next winter, that is, the rainy season, is again without rain, then the changes will become irreversible. In some places, it will already begin to turn into a desert, and the climate will not be able to recover back.”

Interesting fact: popularity is growing in California mobile application, through which users can send photos of those who waste water to the authorities. At the same time, the inhabitants of the luxurious mansions of Beverly Hills attract special attention of Californians.

Is Russia facing a shortage of fresh water? Hydrologist Mikhail Bolgov answers.

Mikhail Bolgov hydrologist “There is quite a lot of water, we are in 2nd place in terms of reserves after Brazil. But against this background, we have problems with water resources in some regions. This is mainly the South, the Caucasian slope, where the population is large, agricultural consumption is large, and local water resources are not always enough. We, of course, have problems with changes in water resources, warming will not pass Russia by either. There are global forecasts that say that the temperature on Earth as a whole will increase, but no one knows what will happen to water resources. This is a more difficult task than simply predicting temperature changes on the planet.”

According to the UN, today more than a billion people live in conditions of constant water shortages, and about half a billion more are located in areas where this problem may appear in the near future. The world will have to face a serious shortage of this resource as early as 2030. And futurologists have repeatedly stated that in the near future it will be water that will become the number one commodity on the planet, and wars will be fought not for oil, but for fresh water.

Water is the most important resource of our planet. Life is impossible without water. After all, it is water that feeds plants, is the habitat of fish and many animals. It is essential for human life. Therefore, reserves clean water, suitable for drinking, may soon become the main source of the welfare of states.

What happens if clean water disappears

To understand what can happen if there is no clean water left on earth, one should imagine such a situation. It is important to highlight the main consequences of the lack of clean water:

• This will inevitably lead to the death of river and marine life. Will break whole ecosystem. The death of fish, mollusks and crustaceans will lead to the disappearance of food sources for many people. After all, some countries thrive on the extraction of water resources;
• Lack of clean water will lead to the death of many species of land dwellers. After all, they consume water, just like people. Clean water is the foundation of health. Therefore, many non-adapted species will simply die;
• Livestock needs clean water, as do other animals. Its disappearance will lead to the death of livestock. This means that humanity will lose its main food resources;
• Cultivated plants also need clean water. When watering them with polluted water, some plant species will simply die. Those that can survive will be poisoned. They cannot be eaten. Such plants will contain harmful impurities.

Thus, the disappearance of clean water will lead to major changes on the planet. Animals and plants will die. Only limited populations that can survive without clean water will be able to survive on Earth.

Will mankind survive

The situation described above will inevitably lead to mass death of people. Many simply will not be able to find food to satisfy their hunger. Lack of water will lead to wars, mass migrations of the population to more prosperous areas. After such a cataclysm, only small groups of people who will have access to water purification systems will be able to survive. But their food will be quite scarce.

To the question What can happen if there is no clean water left on Earth? (if possible, give a full answer) asked by the author Neurosis the best answer is Being left without water is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a person and to humanity as a whole. Our ideas about water as a renewable resource have already been revised today! Pollution of water bodies, deforestation along river banks, drainage of swamps - all this upsets the delicate balance, breaks the fragile natural mechanism that renews and returns lost water to the river. Some scientists believe that all the deserts of the world arose as a result of human activity, and even 5-7 thousand years ago, in the Neolithic, the Sahara Desert was a green savanna, in the expanses of which our ancestors hunted and then grazed huge herds here.
But we also know more recent examples of the disappearance of rivers, lakes, and springs. And if earlier people could move to a new place, to a clean spring, today it is no longer possible to move a populous industrial metropolis anywhere. It's time to seriously think about how to save every body of water, every drop of clean water! Why so much attention to water? Because there is nothing more precious than water! If the reserves of coal, gas or oil run out, mankind, having made an effort, will find a replacement for them: energy and heat can be provided by the Sun, and wind, and even sea tides. And without water there will be no life on Earth! As the Russian hydrologist N. N. Gorsky said: “Humanity is not threatened by a lack of water. He is in danger of something worse - a lack of CLEAN water. Of the 6 billion inhabitants of the planet, almost 2 billion people do not have the opportunity to drink clean drinking water. world reserves drinking water may be depleted due to unsustainable water use or pollution. By 2050, 30% of the world's population may face a shortage of drinking water.
There are already countries that import clean water from neighboring countries. But there is not enough water!
In arid regions, water is scarce, as is bread. People carry it in pumpkin vessels, bottles for many kilometers from home. About 80% of diseases in these areas are associated with bad water. You cannot drink such water. Many diseases dangerous to humans can be transmitted through water: cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, jaundice, helminthiasis, etc.
Each person should remember that water is the source of life on Earth, and treat it very carefully.
Source: good luck!

Answer from 22 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: What can happen if there is no clean water left on Earth? (if possible, give a full answer)

Water is the source of life on Earth. But most often the question arises about the purity of water and its shortage. In the territories of many countries, water is sorely lacking, some peoples generally use poor-quality water, which entails the development of many diseases that lead to death.

It is difficult to say whether today there are countries and territories where the water is not polluted and does not contain harmful impurities. We constantly hear that there is practically no clean water left on Earth, and if there are such places, then people do not live there.

This is due to the fact that water sources are polluted by the people themselves, as industrial, agricultural, and municipal enterprises dump waste from their activities into water bodies. In addition to the fact that these effluents pollute the water with various harmful substances, from which oil, phenol, detergent active substances, pesticides and other complex chemical compounds, carriers of dangerous infectious diseases also enter the water, and this can lead to disastrous consequences.

Many years ago, the governments of many states faced the issue of protecting water from pollution, because if nothing is done soon, there will be no drinking water at all, and people will die. To this end, environmental requirements for industries aimed at protecting water resources from pollution began to be developed. But the fact remains: many in pursuit of material gain they are not able and do not want to understand that without clean drinking water they and the planet Earth itself have no future. And what is even worse, there are territories where there is no clean water at all, people have nothing to drink, water is either imported there, or they have to use high technologies to purify it, which requires large material costs, which many simply cannot afford. The question arises why pollute water and create many problems for yourself, if it is easier to protect your life and the lives of your descendants by introducing new environmentally friendly technologies into production, albeit not cheap ones. this moment, but they are equivalent healthy life not only today's people, but also future generations.

The problem of clean water is also associated with the ever-increasing volumes of its consumption, as there is an increase in the number of inhabitants of the planet and the volume of economic activity person. Rivers and lakes serve as the main supplier of water, and their water content may decrease as a result of deforestation, plowing of meadows, and drainage of floodplain swamps. All this leads to a decrease in the level of groundwater, which is the main source of nutrition for rivers and lakes.

The lack of clean fresh water is a problem that worries a third of the inhabitants of the entire planet, since most of the reserves of such water are located where people do not live. It seems that nature protects the water, hiding it from people who do not protect it. This is indeed the case: in Everyday life many, opening a tap, can pour out as much water as they want, without even thinking that other inhabitants of the planet do not have enough of it. Others do not close the taps well, from where such precious water also flows aimlessly. If everyone thought about how many liters of fresh water is spent thoughtlessly, it would be possible to save it and solve many complex problems.

Modern inhabitants of the planet should think about fresh water purification, about developing ways to protect fresh water from pollution by waste from any type of production and life. If this is not done, the question arises future fate of our planet, because, as you know, life and health depend on what kind of water to drink. The main thing is that tap water, which also cannot be called high-quality, even when passed through a filter, cannot be completely cleared, for example, of impurities. heavy metals, because this requires more stringent measures than a conventional household filter.

Oil production has no less impact on fresh water pollution, especially if some accidents occur that cause irreparable damage and water resources and ecology in general. But it is also dangerous that other harmful substances and compounds can dissolve in oil, which then enter the waters of the World Ocean, and hence the water that people use.

Today, only a small number of organizations are engaged in solving the problems of preserving and increasing the supply of clean water on a global scale. But one of the main tasks they consider to be the fight against the reduction of harmful flows into rivers and lakes, as well as work aimed at the development of systems for desalination of salt water from the seas and oceans, which would solve this main problem of providing the population the globe clean water. Although, so far, desalination of salt water is a very complicated process both in terms of material costs and in terms of energy, and few people can afford such an expensive pleasure.

But the hope that the people of the whole Earth will begin to think about the preservation of clean water reserves remains.