Author Topic: Terraforming Mars?  (Read 4862 times)

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Offline Geezer (OP)

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Terraforming Mars?
« on: May 05, 2020, 11:41:16 AM »
Sounds like Mars might have only needed minimal terraforming a few billion years ago.  Maybe none!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/world/mars-river-evidence-scn-trnd/index.html

Edit - It doesn't seem fair that human lifespan is less than 100 years in a Universe that is billions of years old.   :'(
« Last Edit: May 05, 2020, 11:49:15 AM by Geezer »
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Offline Steve Walmsley

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Re: Terraforming Mars?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2020, 12:03:57 PM »
Sounds like Mars might have only needed minimal terraforming a few billion years ago.  Maybe none!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/world/mars-river-evidence-scn-trnd/index.html

Edit - It doesn't seem fair that human lifespan is less than 100 years in a Universe that is billions of years old.   :'(

Don't worry - its probably all a simulation anyway :)
 

Offline Garfunkel

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Re: Terraforming Mars?
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2020, 12:14:54 PM »
CNN website is awful so here is the link to the original article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15622-0

Abstract:
Quote
Orbital observation has revealed a rich record of fluvial landforms on Mars, with much of this record dating 3.6–3.0 Ga. Despite widespread geomorphic evidence, few analyses of Mars’ alluvial sedimentary-stratigraphic record exist, with detailed studies of alluvium largely limited to smaller sand-bodies amenable to study in-situ by rovers. These typically metre-scale outcrop dimensions have prevented interpretation of larger scale channel-morphology and long-term basin evolution, vital for understanding the past Martian climate. Here we give an interpretation of a large sedimentary succession at Izola mensa within the NW Hellas Basin rim. The succession comprises channel and barform packages which together demonstrate that river deposition was already well established >3.7 Ga. The deposits mirror terrestrial analogues subject to low-peak discharge variation, implying that river deposition at Izola was subject to sustained, potentially perennial, fluvial flow. Such conditions would require an environment capable of maintaining large volumes of water for extensive time-periods, necessitating a precipitation-driven hydrological cycle.
 
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Offline Inglonias

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Re: Terraforming Mars?
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2020, 02:51:40 PM »
Sounds like Mars might have only needed minimal terraforming a few billion years ago.  Maybe none!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/world/mars-river-evidence-scn-trnd/index.html

Edit - It doesn't seem fair that human lifespan is less than 100 years in a Universe that is billions of years old.   :'(

Don't worry - its probably all a simulation anyway :)

i have opinions on the ethics of this particular simulation if that's the case.