645051 external_news 1614970594 1614970594 Don't worry, the catastrophe teased in the headline of this Science Alert story won't happen for another bilion years or so. But when the next Great Oxidation Event does occur -- as it did 2.4 billion years ago -- it'll happen quickly, says Chris Reinhard, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. In a new study he co-authored, Reinhard says the oxygen-rich habitable history of Earth could end up lasting for just 20-30 percent of the planet's lifespan as a whole – and microbial life will carry on existing long after we are gone.

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