Our planet has survived billions of years
of catastrophic events that made it
the world we live on now.
But one day,
there will be an event so disastrous
that it will destroy this floating rock
and end this experiment
known as humanity.
And after the lengthy
number of possibilities,
we've narrowed down our list
to the top five Earth-shattering events.
Whether it was the breakup of Pangaea
or the meteor that
took out the dinosaurs,
Earth has been through more
than one apocalyptic event.
These events changed
our planet's geography
while ushering in new ages
for the life forms that followed.
And that's usually been at the expense
of the creatures who were already here.
But somewhere in our planet's
future lies an extinction event
so devastating that it might not simply
take out all of humanity,
but the Earth as well.
And in a matter of time,
our world could return to dust.
Stargazing can bring a sense
of wonder that calms your mind.
But that may be over now because that
shooting star you spotted
isn't here to grant your wish.
You may want to duck.
Hurricanes remain one of the most deadly
natural events on our planet,
and they leave a trail
of death and destruction
wherever they land.
But if an asteroid hits
an ocean with enough force and heat,
hurricanes would be like fluff balls
compared to what would come next.
A big enough asteroid would superheat the oceans to over
And this could set off a massive storm known as a hypercane.
Winds would move as fast
as the speed of sound,
and clouds would reach heights of up 40 km (25 mi).
The winds would shoot water and aerosols
into the stratosphere,
destroying the ozone layer.
So even if the winds didn't carry you into space,
you could get fried by the radiation
on Earth's surface.
This gas giant has twice the mass
of all the planets in our Solar System combined.
And the gases swirling around inside
Jupiter's atmosphere are the same materials that make up the Sun.
But if Jupiter became 1,000 times more massive,
that distant yellow dot would wreak
havoc on our planet.
With that much mass,
Jupiter would turn into a star.
Since this new star would be
right in the middle of the Solar System,
planetary bodies would change their orbits.
Earth could get pulled in closer to Jupiter
and get scorched by the heat
coming off the former planet.
Or even worse,
gravitational forces could make our world a rogue planet.
That means we'd be sent away into space
outside the Solar System,
endlessly roaming the Universe
in search of a new home.
Without the heat of the Sun
to keep us warm,
the surface of the Earth would freeze over,
killing all life on our planet.
But maybe we shouldn't focus on a star
that hasn't formed yet
and concentrate on the one we have.
After all,
this ball of gas makes life possible on our planet.
It's only a matter of time
before this power source is used up.
And when that occurs,
the Sun's core will become saturated
with helium and begin to shrink.
The increased pressure and temperature
would cause the Sun
to spit out massive amounts of energy.
The Sun's outer layers would expand,
creating a deadly heat wave on Earth.
Our oceans would evaporate into thin air,
and the radiation would scorch the planet's surface.
Finally, the Sun,
once the giver of life,
would swallow up what's left of our molten planet.
And if the Sun keeps expanding,
our Solar System would face a new threat.
Oh, man, it just keeps getting worse.
If the Sun gains even more mass before collapsing,
you could witness the birth
of one of the most mysterious forces
in the Universe.
A black hole.
The product of a dying star,
the gravitational pull of this void
can rip apart other stars and planets.
Right now, the Sun is too small
to create one of these catastrophes.
But if a black hole appears in front of Earth,
the uneven gravitational pull
would start deforming the planet.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
would break out all over the planet.
And as you come closer
to the black hole's event horizon
this monster might stretch out this world
like a rubber band.
A black hole sucks in matter
by compressing it horizontally,
making it look like a noodle.
We call this spaghettification.
Every bit of our planet would be stretched
into a string of atoms
and fed into this hungry void.
Do you think Earth's future
couldn't get any worse?
Well, come on, this is WHAT IF.
And right now,
10 to 20 volcanoes are erupting across our planet,
spewing ash and gas
into the atmosphere.
But if every volcano on Earth exploded at once,
you couldn't escape the fumes and heat,
no matter where you live.
Rocks reaching 1,000 °C (1,830 °F)
would travel as fast as 700 km/h (450 mph).
With such a massive amount
of molten rock slamming onto the surface,
the planet could lose its balance
and the poles could realign.
A thick layer of ash and gas would suffocate Earth
and eventually block out all the sunlight.
And while the lava cools,
the temperature on Earth
would drastically drop,
sending us into another Ice Age.
While this event wouldn't
necessarily end our entire planet,
it would destroy any chance
of sustaining life until those clouds clear up.
Life on Earth has ended several times before,
and it's safe to say it will happen again.
Think you're prepped for these scenarios?
Let us know in the comments.
Of course,
we based these doomsday predictions
around science and observable facts.
But some things are beyond our understanding.
Like what if the threat to our existence
wasn't miles underground?
What if it was less than 2 m (6 ft) below?
What if there was a zombie apocalypse?
Well, start working on your cardio
because that's a story for another WHAT IF.