Amazon Becoming Hypertropical Again – First Time in 10 Million Years #amazon #amazonforest #climate

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]Did you know the Amazon rainforest is entering a hypertropical climate for the first time in 10 million years?

[00:00:07]Scientists say record heat and drought are pushing the forest beyond its tropical limits. In a hypertropical regime, the Amazon becomes even hotter and drier than a normal rainforest, an environment not seen since prehistoric times. Global warming is extending Amazon's dry season and cranking up temperatures.

[00:00:26]In these hot droughts, trees close their leaf pores to save water, which stops photosynthesis and causes carbon starvation. Without enough moisture, trees simply can't survive. Studies show tree mortality jumps about 55% when these scorching droughts occur. By 2100, models predict roughly 150 such scorching drought days could hit the Amazon each year if warming continues.

[00:00:53]Losing trees means the Amazon can't absorb as much CO2, making climate change even worse. Models predict hypertropical conditions could become common in the Amazon's dry season within decades and possibly year round by 2100.

[00:01:09]Crucially, researchers say this future isn't set in stone. If we curb emissions now, we may avoid a permanently hypertropical Amazon.