Mars Terraforming Agency
Mars Terraforming Agency goals continued:
- Factories will be established on Mars to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in order to thicken it.
- Materials from the asteroid belt will be mined to thicken the Martian atmosphere.
- Freighters will be sent to Venus to collect thick gases from it's atmosphere, the sulfur filtered out for sale on Earth, the remainder taken to Mars to thicken the atmosphere.
Mars atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide with traces of nitrogen, argon, oxygen, carbon monoxide, neon, krypton, xenon, and water vapor. Mars atmosphere is only 1/100 as thick as that of Earth. Storms on Mars are often planetwide (because of lower air density than on Earth; 1/50), with winds blowing over 150 mph. They sometimes last for weeks. Material from the asteroid belt could be used to thicken the Martian atmosphere. Ice from comets could be used to increase the water and oxygen content on Mars. Alternatively, water could be transported to Mars from Jupiter's moon Europa. Water is trapped in the polar ice caps, and in permafrost beneath the surface. Current information suggests that water flows deep beneath the surface. This water can be pumped and filtered of any possible biological agents and used by colonists. 2/3 of Mars surface is rust red, which is desert-like terrain of limonite, dust, sand, and rocks. Limonite is hydrous ferric oxide, used as iron ore, or yellow pigment. On Earth, the mineral limonite is found in lakes and marshes as a slimy deposit, or in deserts as the surface coating on rocks, or just plain rust. It is brick red in color, varying from a brown to yellowish color. The other 1/3 of the surface are dark areas of gray-green or grey-blue which changes over the seasons. Scientists believe this is the Martian surface being covered and uncovered by sand storms. Some sand storms can blow at over 80 mph. If we could release the oxygen from the iron oxide rocks on Mars, there would be more oxygen in the atmosphere. Mars has pink clouds of dust, blue clouds of ice crystals, and white clouds of water vapor. The surface of Mars is currently receiving 2000 times the radiation Earth's surface receives. Forming an ozone layer 17 miles above the surface would cut down most of the harmful radiation. Huge solar mirrors, and flat-plate solar collectors can heat the surface of Mars, as well as nuclear plants, which give off a tremendous amount of heat. These methods could be used to increase the low temperature on Mars. Mars is much cooler than Earth because it has a larger surface area relative to it's volume. Geothermal power plants release heat and gases into the atmosphere. Geothermal energy can be produced by pumping water into the area of the ground where there are hot rocks. Volcanoes on Mars would be an area where this would be possible. Volcanoes could be blasted open on Mars to release gases to thicken the atmosphere. Old lava tubes on Mars may be one of the best places for a colony. Initially, the only domes on the surface should be for greenhouses and colonists should live underground. Factories pumping greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, water vapor, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons) into the Martian atmosphere would help heat the planet and thicken the atmosphere. This, in turn, would help thaw out the permafrost and melt the polar caps, bringing water to the surface. With the surface warmed, it radiates heat back into the atmosphere, further warming the planet. Mars temperature, if raised by 50 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrnheit) would be -93 to +67 degrees Celsius (-167 to +120 Fahrnheit). As the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dwindles, plants can be established on the surface. They will convert much of the remaining carbon dioxide into nutrient compounds and release oxygen as a waste product.
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