Global Warming on Mars?
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Believe or not many scientists think that one solution to colonizing the "Red Planet" would be through injecting synthetic green house gases that are more powerful than the regular carbon dioxide.
The approach developed by Marinova and colleagues involves artificially created greenhouse gases nearly 10,000 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Using a computer model of the Martian atmosphere, the researchers analyzed four of the best candidate gases individually and in combination.
Focusing on fluorine-based gases, which are composed of elements readily available on the Martian surface, the found that a compound called octafluoropropane produced the greatest warming alone and even more warming in combination with several similar gases.
Although I think there is personally nothing financial to gain from the Red Planet for the immediate future, these procedures could enable an "Earth Like" world on Mars for future generations. I see Mars as more of a testing ground for more glories prizes on Jupiter and Saturn's moons (the icy worlds of Europa, Mimas, Enceladus and the methane world of Titan).
Credit: NASA Glenn Research Center
From red to blue: A new proposal for creating a runaway greenhouse effect on Mars could feasibly make the planet more hospitable in centuries
One draw back to this measure though is the American public (as well as the international space lovers) may be impatient to fund such procedures and focus will most likely focus their energies on the Moon, which is probably a more practical spot since it's about 3 days journey away from our homeworld. However if these scientists are correct then implementing such procedures NOW on the red planet would be a wise investment for the future (unless of coarse hyper jumps are invented and we simply travel to more promising worlds beyond our solar system). All of the needed chemicals already exist on Mars, and although this may take several hundred years to complete it would be well worth the wait if a "Green Mars" emerged.
Last excerpt from "Better Humans:"
Adding about 300 parts per million of the gas mixture in the current Martian atmosphere, the researchers say, could spark a runaway greenhouse effect that causes the evaporation of carbon dioxide on the Martian surface. This in turn would lead to further melting, temperature increases, enhanced atmospheric pressure and a thicker atmosphere.
I've had my say about colonization, what's your view? Selah!
