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Scientists used 3-D climate modeling to simulate Mars with an oxygen-rich atmosphere, finding that increased atmospheric pressure and additional warming gases can moderate temperature extremes. At 30 hPa pressure (5 times current levels), Mars could support lichens and mosses, while at 60 hPa forests might grow in areas like Hellas Basin. However, creating a breathable atmosphere through photosynthesis alone would require thousands of years and more oxygen than available from Mars' known CO2 reserves without recycling.
Why it matters
This research provides quantitative constraints on Mars terraforming scenarios, showing both the atmospheric conditions needed for different life forms and the enormous timescales involved. The findings highlight fundamental challenges in making Mars habitable, including oxygen budget limitations that exceed the planet's known carbon dioxide reserves.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Abstract: We present the first 3-D Global Climate Model simulations of an oxygen-rich, terraformed Mars. Assuming an O2-CO2 atmosphere, with additional warming from a well-mixed grey gas, we study (1) how surface temperatures change with atmospheric pressure and grey gas opacity, and (2) how temperature, pressure, and other effects limit life as oxygen builds up. We neglect the climate effects of dust and the water cycle, as well as possible soil-chemistry and nutrient limits to life. We find that (1) increasing grey gas opacity and increasing atmospheric pressure both moderate day-night temperature swings, but only slightly reduce seasonal temperature swings. Climate remains harsher in the Southern mid-latitudes relative to the Northern hemisphere. (2) For an atmospheric pressure of 30 hPa (5 times its present-day value), temperatures on Mars would be consistent with lichen and moss, followed at 60 hPa by forests (initially in the Hellas Basin). However, creating a human-breathable atmosphere through photosynthesis alone, at the oxygen production rates of biomes on Earth today, would take at least thousands of years, and require more oxygen than can be made via photosynthesis of known CO2 reserves on Mars alone (unless CO2 is recycled).
Source: The climate and potential habitability of a warm and oxygenated Mars