Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agusm.p21a..03s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2009, abstract #P21A-03
Mathematics
Logic
0325 Evolution Of The Atmosphere (1610, 8125), 0343 Planetary Atmospheres (5210, 5405, 5704), 1616 Climate Variability (1635, 3305, 3309, 4215, 4513), 1650 Solar Variability (7537), 6225 Mars
Scientific paper
Evidence for the presence of flowing water on the Martian surface is persuasive. The current cold, dry climate and low atmospheric pressure preclude liquid surface water for any extended period of time, and these conditions seem to have generally prevailed for the last 3+ billion years of Martian history. Water in unknown (but presumably substantial) quantities and CO2 in relatively small amounts, are well established by many observations. The considerable difficulty of explaining a warm, wet Mars under present solar output pales in comparison to explaining these conditions early in Martian history when the standard model of stellar evolution predicts that the sun was less luminous. Attempts to model such a climate using CO2 as the main greenhouse gas lead to very high atmospheric concentrations, which should have left an obvious signature. The absence of significant carbonate mineral deposits suggests that CO2 was not likely ever present in the atmosphere at the necessary concentrations. Alternative greenhouse gases, such as methane and ammonia, have met with the same objections applied to similar discussions of the early climate of Earth, but perhaps are slightly less problematical for Mars given the greater distance from the sun. However, if the major reservoir for surface carbon on Mars was as organic compounds, the resolution to the climate problem could lie in the regeneration of methane (and perhaps ammonia) by volcanically-driven hydrothermal processing of these organics in the presence of water. Maintenance of sufficiently high levels of these potent greenhouse gases would have depended on continued thermal activity, especially early in Mars' history when the faint young sun required extra high levels, and when thermal sources were undoubtedly greater than at present. The climate transition from warm and wet to cold and dry (in spite of increasing luminosity of the sun) was the result of the exponential decay of thermal activity on the relatively small Mars, and consequent reduction of atmospheric concentrations of reduced greenhouse gases. Recently discovered methane emissions on Mars are most likely remnants of this hydrothermal activity, rather than biological processes.
No associations
LandOfFree
Climate Transition on Mars: Solution and Implications does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Climate Transition on Mars: Solution and Implications, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Climate Transition on Mars: Solution and Implications will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1107965