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/sci/ - Science & Math

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6058386 No.6058386 [Reply] [Original]

So I'm interested in writing a story, and I want some /sci/ backup. The idea I got from /tg/ and I just want to know the science behind it if it's even possible. The premise on its basic level is that there was a much quieter apocalypse than ever predicted where the air began disappointing and everyone essentially choked to death and presumably the entire atmosphere just goes away. There are a few who were prepared for a shit hits the fan scenario and were able to live, but need constant air and shit.

So basically, is the premise possible? Essentially the entire atmosphere disappearing? What kind of event could lead to something like this and would it be possible to live under these conditions? What would the Earth be like?

>> No.6058411
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6058411

>>6058386
>air began disappointing

Captcha: rejectX was

>> No.6058533

bump

>> No.6058538

The atmosphere disappearing entirely? Highly unlikely. Earth's gravity and magnetosphere both hold it in place.

The atmosphere becoming unbreathable? Highly likely.

>> No.6058542

>>6058538

>Highly Likely

In what sense?

Do expand. I'm sorry if I'm sounding bossy/spoonfeedy but I literally know nothing about this stuff and this is interesting.

>> No.6058553

I cant think of a way you could remove the atmosphere naturally. Maybe aliens came by and siphoned it off for their own planet. Even if you could disappear the atmosphere, all the oceans would boil and you would get a second atmosphere of water vapor. Without the ozone layer, temperatures would skyrocket (around 120 C), and sunburns would happen very quickly. I dunno if you want to deal with all of those effects.

I think it would be eaiser to go with >>6058538 and have a giant cavern filled with some unbreathable gas be uncovered (naturally or by human excavations), why slowly vents chokes the atmosphere out. Methane is a good choice, because there is already some research on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrate_gun_hypothesis

>> No.6058557

>>6058542

Oxygen, which we breathe, is highly reactive and needs to be constantly replenished by flora (most of it being produced by phytoplankton in the ocean, but also by rainforests, grass, etc). Kill the plants and you'll quickly kill the planet. Of course, flora outweighs the fauna by an order of magnitude, but, still, it is possible with greenhouse gases, deforestation, ocean toxicity, et cetera.