Scientists Predict Spain and Morocco Could Merge in 250 Million Years as Supercontinents Form

According to a study by the University of Bristol published in the scientific journal Nature, the planet will have a new appearance in 250 million years due to the shrinking of the Atlantic Ocean and the fusion of the Afro-Eurasian continent with the Americas. In this dynamic, Spain and Morocco could merge and create a supercontinent. Within about 12 million years, the eastern coast of Andalusia will have already merged with those of Morocco and Algeria, reports El Faro de Ceuta.

According to the forecasts of geologist Christopher Scotese, eastern Iberia and the Balearic Islands will merge with North Africa within about 30 years. And within 250 million years, Spain, Portugal or Morocco will become the northernmost region of the planet. The researchers at the University of Bristol, on the other hand, predict that more than 90% of the Earth’s surface will be uninhabitable for humans and mammals due to temperatures reaching over 40°C.

The supercontinents will generate volcanic activity that "will release huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere," explains Alexander Farnsworth of the University of Bristol, adding that the regions located in the center of the supercontinent would turn into deserts. The lack of humidity would also reduce the amount of silica reaching the oceans, which normally eliminates CO2 from the atmosphere.