- #1
S.Kin
- 1
- 0
Hello. I am a fiction novelist and a new member here at PF. I write mostly futuristic sci-fi stories so I'll probably be poking my head in from time to time with new questions for you guys. I'm very anal and a stickler for scientific accuracy (or at least as close to accurate as I can get and still write fiction); and I'm especially concerned with receiving scrutiny from the scientific community because I penned something completely implausible.
Having said all that: I'm currently working on a story in which I propose a scenario where Earth has been transformed into a global desert, and I’m looking for information on whether this is even plausible, and what sort of events might facilitate such a drastic change to our climate.
How exactly might this be achieved? I've looked at multiple theories concerning global warming, the effects of nuclear soot on the atmosphere, and even theories surrounding subduction zones and the loss of ocean water; but I still have concerns that any of these events could eventually produce the sort of environment that I'm looking for.
I’d also like to know how long it would take for these sorts of changes to take place. Depending on the catalyst, is this something that would take a billion or more years to transpire, or could something like this potentially occur over the course of several hundred years?
How long could life continue on this planet as temperatures began to rise and the world dried up? Would mankind even live to see a desert (or at least mostly desert) Earth? At what point in the process would it become impossible for life to continue on the planet?
One of my biggest concerns are the oceans. It seems to me that as long as oceans still exist, the rain cycle will continue and completely negate any possibility of the planet going arid. But what would have to take place in order for the oceans to disappear? Or is their disappearance irrelevant?
I’m appreciative of any advice that you guys can give me and open to all ideas and theories. Thank you in advance.
- S. Kincaid
Having said all that: I'm currently working on a story in which I propose a scenario where Earth has been transformed into a global desert, and I’m looking for information on whether this is even plausible, and what sort of events might facilitate such a drastic change to our climate.
How exactly might this be achieved? I've looked at multiple theories concerning global warming, the effects of nuclear soot on the atmosphere, and even theories surrounding subduction zones and the loss of ocean water; but I still have concerns that any of these events could eventually produce the sort of environment that I'm looking for.
I’d also like to know how long it would take for these sorts of changes to take place. Depending on the catalyst, is this something that would take a billion or more years to transpire, or could something like this potentially occur over the course of several hundred years?
How long could life continue on this planet as temperatures began to rise and the world dried up? Would mankind even live to see a desert (or at least mostly desert) Earth? At what point in the process would it become impossible for life to continue on the planet?
One of my biggest concerns are the oceans. It seems to me that as long as oceans still exist, the rain cycle will continue and completely negate any possibility of the planet going arid. But what would have to take place in order for the oceans to disappear? Or is their disappearance irrelevant?
I’m appreciative of any advice that you guys can give me and open to all ideas and theories. Thank you in advance.
- S. Kincaid