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Also TryPapers
- Colonizing and Terraforming Mars (RedColony.com)
"We are an international symposium, spanning students and professionals, scientists and laymen alike, all with a desire to colonize and terraform Mars. Our visitors have the opportunity to submit ideas in these evolving fields, knowing they are literally writing the books on Mars. Their articles are discussed by the scientific community until the most comprehensive, efficient and realistic Plan is developed and enacted." 02-06
- Organisms to Start Terraforming (Fogg)
"When a barren planet is in the process of being terraformed, there will come a point where the first life forms can be introduced into the natural environment. The implantation of this pioneering biosphere is often referred to as ecopoiesis. Initially, and perhaps well before plants and animals can be introduced, such a world is going to be suitable only for bacteria hardened to environmental extremes---the so called extremophiles. Here, we review some of the ecopoiesis candidates nominated by various authors. It's possible that one of the microscopic creatures described below could be the first terrestrial life form to truly colonize an alien world." 02-06
- Paraterraforming Mars (Wikipedia.org)
"Also known as the 'worldhouse' concept, paraterraforming involves the construction of a habitable enclosure on a planet which eventually grows to encompass most of the planet's usable area. The enclosure would consist of a transparent roof held one or more kilometers above the surface, pressurized with a breathable atmosphere, and anchored with tension towers and cables at regular intervals. Proponents claim worldhouses can be constructed with technology known since the 1960s." 02-06
- Terraforming Mars (Zubrin and McKay)
"The planet Mars, while cold and arid today, once possessed a warm and wet climate, as evidenced by extensive fluvial features observable on its surface. It is believed that the warm climate of the primitive Mars was created by a strong greenhouse effect caused by a thick CO2 atmosphere. Mars lost its warm climate when most of the available volatile CO2 was fixed into the form of carbonate rock due to the action of cycling water. It is believed, however, that sufficient CO2 to form a 300 to 600 mb atmosphere may still exist in volatile form, either adsorbed into the regolith or frozen out at the south pole. This CO2 may be released by planetary warming, and as the CO2 atmosphere thickens, positive feedback is produced which can accelerate the warming trend. Thus it is conceivable, that by taking advantage of the positive feedback inherent in Mars' atmosphere/regolith CO2 system, that engineering efforts can produce drastic changes in climate and pressure on a planetary scale." 02-06
- Terraforming Mars - Short Description (NASA - Quest)
"First, greenhouse gases, like chlorofluorocarbons that contribute to the growing ozone layer on Earth, will be released into the atmosphere. This traps the heat from the Sun and raises the surface temperature by an average of 4 degrees Celsius."
"The increasing temperature would vaporize some of the carbon dioxide in the south polar cap. Introducing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere would produce additional warming, melting more of the polar cap until it has been vaporized completely. This would produce an average temperature rise of 70 degrees Celsius."
"With the temperature this high, ice will start melting, providing the water needed to sustain life. This water would raise the atmospheric pressure to the equivalent of some mountaintops. While this would be a survivable level, it may still require the use of an oxygen mask. The next step, which may take up to several centuries, would be to plant trees that thrive on carbon dioxide and produce oxygen." 02-06
- Terraforming Mars for Humans (HowStuffWorks.com)
Describes how Mars may be changed to allow humans to live there. 4-01
- Terraforming Mars in Stages (Wikipedia.org)
"Terraforming (literally, "Earth-shaping") is the process of modifying a planet, moon or other body to a more habitable atmosphere, temperature or ecology. It is a type of planetary engineering. The term is sometimes used very broadly as a synonym for planetary engineering in general; see that article for related information. This article primarily focuses on the modification of atmospheric and thermal conditions." 02-06
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