TLDR;
Okay ji, here's the summary of what happens if all humans disappear from Earth. Basically, nature reclaims everything, buildings crumble, and animals adapt.
- Power goes out, cities flood.
- Pets struggle, pests decline, predators return.
- Plants take over, even Hoover Dam gets clogged.
- Cities like Pripyat show what happens in 20 years.
- After a century, even bridges collapse.
- In thousands of years, only stone structures like pyramids and Mount Rushmore might remain.
- Life goes on, maybe with new dominant species, but who knows if they'll be as philosophical as us?
Welcome To Earth: Population Zero [2:37]
If humans suddenly vanished, within hours, lights would start going out as power plants run out of fuel. Nuclear plants would shut down safely in days. Even wind turbines need maintenance, so they won't last. After a few weeks, the planet would be dark. Hoover Dam might be one of the last power sources due to its water supply, but even it won't last forever.
The Fate of Cities and Pets [6:09]
Beneath cities, pumps keep tunnels dry. Without humans, these tunnels would flood in about 36 hours. Food rots in supermarkets, and pets face a massive die-off. Dogs can't open cans or get food, so they'd have to scavenge. Smaller dogs won't survive, but average-sized dogs have a better chance.
Return of the Wild [10:27]
Household pests like rats and mice, initially thriving on leftover food, would eventually decline as they lose their dependence on humans and become prey. Predators like foxes and coyotes would quickly return to urban areas, followed by larger carnivores as habitats recover.
Nature Reclaims Towns and Cities [13:09]
Within a year, nature starts reclaiming towns and cities. Weeds infiltrate cracks, creating soil. Lawns turn into fields. Plants like the alanthus tree damage buildings. Even the Hoover Dam faces threats from quagga mussels clogging its pipes, potentially shutting it down. Wildfires, no longer fought by humans, rage through abandoned areas.
Five Years After People [19:58]
Roads disappear under vegetation. Nature reclaims cities like Angkor Wat. Central Park in New York becomes a forest. Zoo animals might escape, with lions and tigers potentially surviving.
Pripyat: A Glimpse into the Future [22:52]
Pripyat, abandoned after Chernobyl, shows what happens to a city after 20 years. Buildings decay, and vegetation grows unchecked. Despite radiation, wildlife has rebounded, with thriving populations of red deer and wild boar.
25 Years of Neglect [32:58]
After 25 years, infrastructure fails. London and Amsterdam flood. Windows crack in skyscrapers due to sealant failure. Lightning strikes cause fires. Pigeons and cockroaches adapt, with cockroaches seeking warmth underground. Wolf populations rebound, reclaiming their former territories.
40 Years: The Suburbs Under Attack [42:15]
Timber-framed houses are devoured by termites and rot. Stone structures last longer but still crumble due to weathering and salt damage. Even the pyramids are not immune to decay. Earth dams are likely to fail, causing massive floods.
50 Years: The Seeds of Destruction [49:46]
Bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge deteriorate without maintenance. Steel corrodes, and cables weaken. The Golden Gate Bridge, once continuously painted, would also succumb to rust.
75 Years: Cars to Skeletons [53:15]
Abandoned cars corrode, reduced to skeletons. Coastal environments accelerate this process.
100 Years: The Fall of Icons [54:43]
The Brooklyn Bridge collapses. Archives and libraries decay. Film and photographs degrade, and digital media has a limited lifespan.
150 Years: Vertical Ecosystems [1:01:18]
Underground tunnels collapse, causing streets to cave in. Vines cover skyscrapers, creating vertical ecosystems inhabited by cats. Dogs revert to their wild instincts, forming packs.
150 Years: Oceans Teeming with Life [1:06:12]
Oceans recover as fishing and pollution cease. Marine life flourishes, with whales, tuna, and turtles returning in abundance. Seagull populations initially decline but then thrive on recovering fish stocks.
200 Years: The Great Collapses [1:09:22]
Iron and steel structures collapse. The Eiffel Tower, like the Kinzua Railway viaduct, succumbs to corrosion. The Space Needle in Seattle falls.
500 Years: The End of Concrete [1:13:16]
Concrete structures fail as steel rebar corrodes. Cities become unrecognizable.
1,000 Years: Nature's Return [1:15:22]
Cities are reclaimed by nature, with vegetation and streams returning. The Manah project recreates Manhattan's original landscape.
10,000 Years: Vanished Without a Trace [1:19:23]
Radio and television broadcasts dissipate into noise. Only colossal stone structures like the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramid and Mount Rushmore might remain.
The Replacements [1:22:48]
Perhaps chimpanzees might evolve, but the leap to contemplating the cosmos might be unique to humanity. Earth will move on, with or without us.