Warming up mars will be a waste of time unless some one figures out how to "restart" mars molten core. A molten core is vital for generating a magnetic field strong enough prevent the water vapor from evaporating into outer space.
If it wasn't for earths magnetosphere life here wouldn't have had a chance.
-dan
Hmmm... I'm not sure how the magnetic field would prevent water from evaporating... it's actually the density of the atmosphere that would do that. Water already exists on the surface of Mars and goes through various cycles depending on the climate, that's already been shown.
It's the wild temperature swings and low pressure that cause it to evaporate quickly on the surface, I thought.
A magnetic field doesn't prevent water from evaporating, but it does protect an atmosphere from being gradually stripped off the planet by the solar wind. So Mars has several factors against it:
1: No magnetic field (bad for life, and bad for the atmosphere).
2: Low gravity (it's easier for light gases to escape the planet).
3: Far from the sun, so it's cold, which means less volatiles in gas form (you instead have water ice and CO2 ice underground and at the poles). This, of course, is a feedback loop which just makes it even colder which again means less atmosphere and so on.
4: Little internal heating due to its low mass, so no volcanism to help (re-)produce an atmosphere, no plate tectonics.
Terraforming is supposed to take thousands of years of geoengineering, although the Kim Stanley Robinson trilogy Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars does it quite a bit faster.
Assuming the strikes occur at truly random times. Then there is no such thing as "overdue". Bean
Bean:
Great observation. The random strikes is referring to the larger number of randomly organized smaller objects within the Kuiper belt orbit that are unpredictably thrown out and find their way to Earth. The 35 million year-point is from a collection of evidence from Astronomers and Geologists showing a historical periodic nature to large impacts throughout the Earth's evolution. As far as I know, no one has identified the origins of the largest cyclic impactors as contention is they come from deep space and cross our path, but this would make a good project.
Warming up mars will be a waste of time unless some one figures out how to "restart" mars molten core. A molten core is vital for generating a magnetic field strong enough prevent the water vapor from evaporating into outer space. If it wasn't for earths magnetosphere life here wouldn't have had a chance.
-dan
Well said Dan. One model for Tera-forming Mars includes increasing its mass by capturing a number of larger asteroids and depositing their mass into the planet. That would certainly infuse a molten core, creating not only a "magnetosphere" but a more Earth-like planet and lead to screening of dangerous radiation. Otherwise efforts to convert CO2 to Oxygen, induce ozone, and create a thick atmosphere that's not lost into space would be fruitless.
3: Far from the sun, so it's cold, which means less volatiles in gas form (you instead have water ice and CO2 ice underground and at the poles). This, of course, is a feedback loop which just makes it even colder which again means less atmosphere and so on. -Tor
Tor:
This is very interesting. A group of scientists some time ago proposed the orbital placement of giant mirrors around Mars to collect and focus the sun's light onto Mar's surface, thus helping to gradually warm the planet. It could be one of the later steps in Terraforming Mars. Probably no one would take on a thousand year project and so the push will be for faster results, especially when Earth's resources are exhausted and mining begins on the planet.
Humanoido:
You just described one of the methods (out of many executed at the same time) that Kim Stanley Robinson used in that book trlogy I mentioned.
One is whether or not there is any kind of life, or was life native to Mars. That's a very important data point, not easily obtained elsewhere.
The other is whether or not life from here would survive there.
The selfish part of me wants to see the second one answered! We have some plants that could potentially survive there in the polar regions. Plant them!
Once done though, we are very likely to corrupt the other data point....
I think that a program like this, to reach other celestial bodies would help us to come together for a common goal. Not being able to act together as a species is holding us back. The LHC is a great example of what we can achieve... thousands from all over the world, now imagine billions...
I think that a program like this, to reach other celestial bodies would help us to come together for a common goal. Not being able to act together as a species is holding us back. The LHC is a great example of what we can achieve... thousands from all over the world, now imagine billions...
Excellent point Ale. When we face our challenges in getting along together peacefully, making great achievements, exploring the universe, expanding our science and working together in cooperation, and not war, then we will have evolved to a better place on this planet. Mars could be an excellent stepping stone in achieving and continuing that goal. Already we have seen great marvels and strides of cooperation with the multinational ISS space station. It was undoubtedly one factor which led to the demise of the cold war between the USA and Soviet Union, replacing it with cooperation in the peaceful exploration of near Earth space.
The Forum is another example of the great achievements that are made through cooperation.
Comments
If it wasn't for earths magnetosphere life here wouldn't have had a chance.
-dan
It's the wild temperature swings and low pressure that cause it to evaporate quickly on the surface, I thought.
Bill
1: No magnetic field (bad for life, and bad for the atmosphere).
2: Low gravity (it's easier for light gases to escape the planet).
3: Far from the sun, so it's cold, which means less volatiles in gas form (you instead have water ice and CO2 ice underground and at the poles). This, of course, is a feedback loop which just makes it even colder which again means less atmosphere and so on.
4: Little internal heating due to its low mass, so no volcanism to help (re-)produce an atmosphere, no plate tectonics.
Terraforming is supposed to take thousands of years of geoengineering, although the Kim Stanley Robinson trilogy Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars does it quite a bit faster.
-Tor
Great observation. The random strikes is referring to the larger number of randomly organized smaller objects within the Kuiper belt orbit that are unpredictably thrown out and find their way to Earth. The 35 million year-point is from a collection of evidence from Astronomers and Geologists showing a historical periodic nature to large impacts throughout the Earth's evolution. As far as I know, no one has identified the origins of the largest cyclic impactors as contention is they come from deep space and cross our path, but this would make a good project.
Well said Dan. One model for Tera-forming Mars includes increasing its mass by capturing a number of larger asteroids and depositing their mass into the planet. That would certainly infuse a molten core, creating not only a "magnetosphere" but a more Earth-like planet and lead to screening of dangerous radiation. Otherwise efforts to convert CO2 to Oxygen, induce ozone, and create a thick atmosphere that's not lost into space would be fruitless.
Tor:
This is very interesting. A group of scientists some time ago proposed the orbital placement of giant mirrors around Mars to collect and focus the sun's light onto Mar's surface, thus helping to gradually warm the planet. It could be one of the later steps in Terraforming Mars. Probably no one would take on a thousand year project and so the push will be for faster results, especially when Earth's resources are exhausted and mining begins on the planet.
You just described one of the methods (out of many executed at the same time) that Kim Stanley Robinson used in that book trlogy I mentioned.
-Tor
I'm torn between two very basic things.
One is whether or not there is any kind of life, or was life native to Mars. That's a very important data point, not easily obtained elsewhere.
The other is whether or not life from here would survive there.
The selfish part of me wants to see the second one answered! We have some plants that could potentially survive there in the polar regions. Plant them!
Once done though, we are very likely to corrupt the other data point....
That said, "plant them", because I want to know.
Excellent point Ale. When we face our challenges in getting along together peacefully, making great achievements, exploring the universe, expanding our science and working together in cooperation, and not war, then we will have evolved to a better place on this planet. Mars could be an excellent stepping stone in achieving and continuing that goal. Already we have seen great marvels and strides of cooperation with the multinational ISS space station. It was undoubtedly one factor which led to the demise of the cold war between the USA and Soviet Union, replacing it with cooperation in the peaceful exploration of near Earth space.
The Forum is another example of the great achievements that are made through cooperation.