Science Forums 2

[modest]

I’m wondering if there’s an established way to determine the change in a planet’s surface temperature with increased atmospheric volume.

I’m thinking life can’t exist without liquid water. Adding an atmosphere to mars would help push toward the triple point on water’s phase diagram through the effect of pressure alone but not drastically and not close enough. Mostly what’s needed is a temperature increase.

I guess what I’m looking for is a source or method that gets how much atmosphere is needed to trap enough heat to elevate the surface temperature some 40 C.

We know the temp and pressure of Earth, Mars, and Venus. If we plotted a curve between them would we have at least a very approximate guess?

-modest