Ideas for change Mars Towards a more livable world Human settlements It's a common theme in science fiction, but could this happen in the real world?
Scientists are now proposing a new approach to warming up. Neighbors of Earth The idea is to release artificial particles made of iron or aluminum, the same size as commercial glitter, into the atmosphere as an aerosol, trapping escaping heat and scattering sunlight onto the Martian surface. Greenhouse effect On Mars, the plan is to raise the surface temperature by about 50 degrees (28 °C) over a 10-year period.
While this alone wouldn't make Mars habitable for humans, the scientists behind the proposal believe it could be a feasible first step.
“Terraforming is the process of changing a planet's environment to be more similar to Earth. In the case of Mars, heating the planet is a necessary first step, but it is not enough. Previous concepts have focused on releasing greenhouse gases, which requires large amounts of resources that are in short supply on Mars,” said University of Chicago planetary scientist Edwin Kite, who led the study published in the journal Nature this week. Scientific advances.
“The key elements of our paper are the novel proposal to use engineered nanoparticles to warm the Martian atmosphere, and the climate modelling which suggests this approach could be much more efficient than previous concepts. This is important as it offers a more feasible way to alter the Martian climate and could inform future Mars exploration strategies,” Kite added.
NASA has sent a robotic rover to explore the surface of Mars and the InSight lander to explore the planet's interior. Project Artemis The goal is to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 in the next few years, in preparation for future manned missions to Mars.
There are many challenges to living on Mars, including a lack of breathable oxygen, harmful ultraviolet rays due to the thin atmosphere, salty soil that is unsuitable for growing crops, and dust storms that sometimes cover large parts of the planet. But the planet's frigid temperatures are a serious obstacle.
“Our aim is to show that the idea of ​​warming Mars is not impossible. We hope that our findings will inspire the broader scientific community and the general public to explore this intriguing idea,” said Samaneh Ansari, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois and lead author of the study.
The average surface temperature of Mars is about minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 65 degrees Celsius). Because the Martian atmosphere is thin, solar heat on the surface easily escapes into space. This proposal aims to have liquid water on the surface of Mars, where water exists in the form of ice at the poles and underground.
The scientists proposed releasing tiny, rod-shaped particles (nanorods) into the atmosphere at a rate of about eight gallons (30 liters) per second continuously for many years.
“The surface of Mars has an abundance of iron and aluminum, so the idea is to transport the materials, or even better, the manufacturing tools, to make nanorods on Mars,” Ansari said.
Researchers are mindful of the potential unintended consequences of terraforming another planet for the benefit of humanity: For example, scientists want to know whether Mars was ever alive in the past, or whether it still exists today in the form of subsurface microbial life.
“Nanoparticles could potentially heat Mars, but both the benefits and potential costs of this course of action are currently unknown. For example, in the unlikely event that Martian soil contains irreparable compounds that are toxic to all Earth-derived life, the benefits of heating Mars would be zero,” Kite said.
“On the other hand, the establishment of a photosynthetic biosphere on the Martian surface may increase the likelihood of human thriving in the solar system,” Kite added. “On the cost side, if life exists on Mars, studying that life may be sufficiently beneficial to warrant vigorous protection of the habitat.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
