I have to do a research paper on Cormac McCarthy's "The Road", and I am trying to decide if any living thing could have survived the world wide destruction described in the book. I think that if the entire world burned and there was no surviving plant life to replenish the oxygen supply (the sun in the novel is blocked out by a nuclear winter type event so plants would not grow either way) How could there be enough oxygen left for the survivors to breathe?
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I don't know the details of what has burned in that novel. But the atmosphere is very large and has a huge amount of oxygen (something like 10^18 kg). I don't believe that more than a small fraction could be consumed. If it were, it would mean fires could not burn as much. They would go out more easily and it would be difficult to burn everything.
Also, there's a large amount of oxygen dissolved in the oceans. That would start to outgas and supplement the atmosphere over time. At sea level, you could live with a much reduced amount of oxygen (equivalent to living at a higher altitude today).
I think if there were any immediate problem with such a scenario it would be the amount of potential toxins released during the combustion. I doubt the reduction in oxygen would be a limiting factor.
Also, there's a large amount of oxygen dissolved in the oceans. That would start to outgas and supplement the atmosphere over time. At sea level, you could live with a much reduced amount of oxygen (equivalent to living at a higher altitude today).
I think if there were any immediate problem with such a scenario it would be the amount of potential toxins released during the combustion. I doubt the reduction in oxygen would be a limiting factor.
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after volcanic explosions, ferns are the first things to grow back. from what i understand they're tuff plants. lemmie roll back a bit, have you heard of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs? i think you're situation is pretty much the same + radiation. but after enough years pass, the radiation would disappear; 1000s and 1000s of years. but basically, the UV light from the sun would clean the oxygen and water and allow life to start again; again, another 1000s or so years. but slowly it should start back. cacti might grow, drawing clean water from deep down. deep ocean creature may wander closer to the surface. water is H2O after all. things should pick up from there.
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Man has the technology to create his own oxygen by electrolysis from water. So man will survive. But not for long without food from plants.