MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Re: Will the solar wind allow terraforming a 'human' Martian atmosphere?

Date: Tue Feb 6 16:52:47 2001
Posted By: Nicolle Zellner, Grad student, Studies of the Origin of Life/Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 981013910.As
Message:

Hi Michael,

First of all, I'm not sure from where you got your information.  I was 
unable to find any NASA press release on this topic, but I will try to 
answer your questions as completely as I can...

It's been known for quite awhile that Mars lost its atmosphere as a result 
of its weak gravitational field...it just wasn't strong enough to hold onto 
the elements that make up an atmosphere and so they slowly drifted off into 
space (see Hartmann's Moons and Planets, 4th edition).  It's very unlikely 
that the solar wind would strip a planet of its atmosphere, with or without 
a magnetic field, and it's unknown whether Mars lost most of its atmosphere 
before or after it lost its magnetosphere.  Currently, Mars has a small 
atmostphere but it has no magnetosphere.  
(http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/sci/sig-achieve-fp.html)

Global terraforming of Mars by humans would be impossible unless there was 
some technology (so far undeveloped) that could constantly regenerate 
elements needed for life.  In the future, as in the past, Mars' weak 
gravitational field would allow elements to slowly escape into space.  
Current thoughts are that domes need to be erected in order to contain a 
generated atmosphere that would allow humans to survive.


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