Terraforming mars?

Question

the whole idea of terraforming mars is to get the planets temperature to warm up and the have breathable air.

they are planning to warm the planet up by "polluting it" like we are doing earth to mimic global warming...

this is interesting to be WHY?

because Mars' atmosphere is mostly Co2...

So why isn't all the ice melted because of the green house gasses?

Also since most the atmosphere is Co2 wouldn't plants be able to thrive there.... considering it be warmer like it's supposed to since there is SOO much Co2.

Answer 1

Mars does have a greenhouse effect, but it is very weak because the atmosphere is thin.  The pressure is a tiny fraction of that of Earth.  

According to estimates and measurements made in the late1980s, the temperature at the Mars polar caps is just below that needed to make most of the CO2 go directly from solid to gas.  

If the global temperature of the planet could be raised by somewhere from 4 to 10 degrees centigrade and kept there several years, nearly all of this gas would go into the atmosphere and raise the pressure a lot.  

This would add to the Martian greenhouse effect, raising temperature still further.  CO2 trapped in the soil would also be partly released making the planet still warmer and with a thicker atmosphere.  

Since maximum Martian temperatures are already enough to melt water ice,  this could mean permanent liquid water on Mars, at least in the tropical regions and more water vapour in the atmosphere, adding still further to a greenhouse effect.  

With an atmospheric composition of about 96% CO2 and the rest nitrogen and other gases at present, the resulting atmosphere would be 99+% CO2 but still at a much lower pressure than on Earth.  Maybe a fifth of Earth pressure, maybe more than that.  

For people on Mars that would mean a more moderate but chilly climate though the atmosphere would not be breathable. It would also mean more shielding from space radiation.  It could mean you would be able to walk on the surface with ordinary warm clothes and an oxygen mask, which is much better than a spacesuit.

Over the following several hundred years it might be possible to introduce suitable microscopic organisms that would turn some of the CO2 to oxygen. These might grow in Martian lakes or ponds.  The problem with this is that reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere could lead to runaway global cooling again.  

There seems little doubt that Earth plants will grow on Mars because of the similar day length.  At first they will have to be in greenhouses and may need a starting supply of oxygen, but if the planet can be warmed enough they should grow outside a greenhouse.  Some Arctic and Antarctic plants might grow there now.  

It has long been speculated that a nuclear reactor attached to  a suitable ice asteroid might be used to push the ice to an aerobraked collision with Mars, by feeding some of it through the reactor as a rocket.

Several objects weighing a few million tonnes each could add nitrogen as ammonia, carbon dioxide, water and perhaps methane to the planet. Whether it is practical or not I don't know, but the possibility seems to be there, though the project might take some decades.  

All of this is "more information needed" but so far it does not seem entirely impossible.

Answer 2

Earth's CO2 levels average between 0.38% and .06% CO2 which is equal to 385 parts per million by volume (ppm) to 600 ppm. Minimum levels of CO2 in the atmosphere that plants can survive and continue photosynthesis is about 200 ppm. Plants can potentially grow up to 50 percent faster in concentrations of 1,000 ppm of CO2, but beyond say 2,000 ppm would be an overdose. And since Mars's atmosphere is 95.7% CO2, nothing would grow upon the surface until we reduced the level dramatically. Mars's level of CO2 would suffocate all plant life just as too much oxygen can kill a person.

THE MUST HAVE INGREDIENTS FOR LIFE:

1) Liquid water (H2O)

2) The chemical building blocks carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen.

3) An energy source.

Carbon dioxide is produced by all animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms during respiration and is used by plants during photosynthesis. This is to make sugars which may either be consumed again in respiration or used as the raw material for plant growth. Carbon is important because of its ability to form long chain-like molecules. Carbon chains form the backbone of organic molecules. Hydrogen and oxygen can both bond with carbon in lots of different ways. These two elements make up water molecules. So if water is present on Mars, hydrogen and oxygen will already be there. Like hydrogen and oxygen, nitrogen can also combine with carbon in lots of different ways. Large molecules made from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen also tend to be very stable. Other ingredients are Sulphur, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper and zinc are all needed for life as we know it on Earth and will be needed to terraform Mars.

Answer 3

CO2 is not just greenhouse gases..Mars does not have a greenhouse, so the heat is not trapped in to melt the ice, (see a description of Venus, which is a greenhouse planet)

yes plants can thrive there...have you seen the latest news stories on Yahoo this morning? the soil is the exact same soil we have in our backyards, plants can grow there.

so in theory, terraforming while taking years and years could work.

so my question is Mars..was it once just like earth? is mars where earth is headed? and is Venus headed towards being a next earth?

Answer 4

mars could never have an atmosphere thick enough for humans because it doesnt have strong enough gravity to hold  it in

Answer 5

terraforming will not work on Mars... it's too cold.... now when they build bubbles all over the place and can heat them with solar power, and melt water ice (if they find it) and ship in tons and tons of organic matter to build up the soil in the greenhouse bubbles, they prob COULD grow plants there.... our plants anyways.... over time, there could be a few plants that would escape the bubbles (like weeds!) and adapt and even grow if there was some water leaks outside the bubbles.....maybe even adapt to survive out there without water.... but to grow food for humans?.. nope... ain't gonna happen...................not without a bubble................terraforming will work if they find a planet that is the right distance from a sun.... where there's water, atmosphere, rain, and seasons.... slim chance there............but if they find one, they'll try it someday............