I've heard a lot of ideas regarding Mars and making it inhabitable on some level. Things like pumping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere to warm it up and melt the ice, etc...
My question is: Is it enough to warm up a planet like that to make it self-sustaining (climate-wise), or does a planet need active volcanoes, molten core, a moon perhaps for tides (etc) in order to make it "work"?
Ps
Mars may have a molten core, I wasn't sure...
QUOTE (Jinxed+)
Is it enough to warm up a planet like that to make it self-sustaining (climate-wise),
Eventually, due to its weak gravity, the gas you pump into it will be eroded away, the reason its atmosphere is so thin now.
Eventually, due to its weak gravity, the gas you pump into it will be eroded away, the reason its atmosphere is so thin now.
QUOTE (same+)
or does a planet need active volcanoes, molten core, a moon perhaps for tides (etc) in order to make it "work"?
As far as I know the only reason the earth's moon was vital for life is because it slowed down rotation.
As far as I know the only reason the earth's moon was vital for life is because it slowed down rotation.
QUOTE (same+)
Mars may have a molten core, I wasn't sure...
I believe the heart of Mars is a cold one.
I believe the heart of Mars is a cold one.
So we would have to keep pumping the gas in forever then? They never mention that part... 
When I said eventually I was pretty lax on the details. It took Mars a couple billion years to get the way it is now.
Hi Jinxed, Josh,
I watched a good show on terraforming Mars a few months ago. It seems there's at least a few scientists who think this is possible relatively quickly because of all the CO2 locked in the ice caps. Here's a web site that covers alot of the stuff I saw.
http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming/terraforming.html
It's pretty interesting but I'm still a little unsure of how well it would maintain itself. I thought a magnetic field was critical, but I can't reference that just now.
Later,
Ron
I watched a good show on terraforming Mars a few months ago. It seems there's at least a few scientists who think this is possible relatively quickly because of all the CO2 locked in the ice caps. Here's a web site that covers alot of the stuff I saw.
http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming/terraforming.html
It's pretty interesting but I'm still a little unsure of how well it would maintain itself. I thought a magnetic field was critical, but I can't reference that just now.
Later,
Ron
But how did the carbon dioxide get in the icecaps in the first place? One can only assume that Marse was so cold with the COČ in the atmosphere that the gas froze. Wouldn't you agree?
Hey Josh,
That would be a catch-22, eh. This subject isn't my strong suit, but it's real interesting. I'm reading through this website now.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mar...te_history.html
I like the way it's put together with alot of tangent links. I'll keep digging and trade insights with you.
Peace,
Ron
That would be a catch-22, eh. This subject isn't my strong suit, but it's real interesting. I'm reading through this website now.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mar...te_history.html
I like the way it's put together with alot of tangent links. I'll keep digging and trade insights with you.
Peace,
Ron
QUOTE (555Joshua+Aug 11 2006, 02:04 PM)
But how did the carbon dioxide get in the icecaps in the first place? One can only assume that Marse was so cold with the COČ in the atmosphere that the gas froze. Wouldn't you agree?
That's a damn good question!
What would freeze the very thing that would make it un-freeze?
I wonder if there are any computer simulations that could figure out what Mars' average temperature would be given an Earth-like (or close to it) atmosphere. It might be just too far away from the Sun to maintain an above-freezing climate regardless of the atmosphere...
Or... I might be really wrong.
That's a damn good question!
What would freeze the very thing that would make it un-freeze?
I wonder if there are any computer simulations that could figure out what Mars' average temperature would be given an Earth-like (or close to it) atmosphere. It might be just too far away from the Sun to maintain an above-freezing climate regardless of the atmosphere...
Or... I might be really wrong.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/why.html Hope it helps.
PhysOrg scientific forums are totally dedicated to science, physics, and technology. Besides topical forums such as nanotechnology, quantum physics, silicon and III-V technology, applied physics, materials, space and others, you can also join our news and publications discussions. We also provide an off-topic forum category. If you need specific help on a scientific problem or have a question related to physics or technology, visit the PhysOrg Forums. Here youll find experts from various fields online every day.
To quit out of "lo-fi" mode and return to the regular forums, please click here.