Terraforming Mars

[pgrmdave]

How could we go about terraforming Mars? Is it even possible/feasible? How long would it take, and what are the problems with it?

[Jay-qu]

I have heard various ideas, I dont know if they work... One suggested first taking machines there that produce vast amounts of CO2 in order to create a greenhouse effect to warm the planet and then after a sufficent amount of time plant lots of trees to convert the CO2 to oxygen

[pgrmdave]

How would they 'produce' CO2? Is there material there that could readily be transformed into carbon dioxide? And how much gas would be necessary to transform an entire planet's climate enough to harbor terrestrial life?

[Jay-qu]

cars produce CO2 - oxygen is needed along with any combustible hydrocarbon. I dont know how much would be needed - my guess is a lot, and for that reason I dont think that it would be a viable option but I found it an interesting 'thinking outside the box' idea.

[Boerseun]

There's plent carbon frozen stiff on the Martian poles. Basically dry ice, it just needs to be transported out to the equator, somehow. If you were to melt it at the pole, it'll just freeze out again.
There's plenty oxygen, but it's trapped in the rock, oxides and rust, giving Mars a red colour.
The only snag would be how to energize the whole process.
Alternatively, I suppose bio-engineering lichens or something to survive there would be a start, but it'll take hundreds of thousands of years before any profitable change would be seen.
The problem with CO2 & trees afterwards, is that the CO2 would create a greenhouse effect, and the trees will remove it - thereby freezing the whole place over again. Balance would be hard to achieve.
The availability of water is yet another hiccup in the process. Maybe, before we start colonizing, we should look for a a couple of comets, or some other snowball, and nudge it in the direction of Mars, to inject some water into the system. We can get it to graze the atmosphere, and not slam right into the planet where most of the potential water could be lost as ejecta from the impact.
There's plenty angles on this problem, and plenty possible solutions. I guess resources isn't a problem at all - the single biggest problem in my mind is the availability of energy on Mars. We can't attempt large-scale engineering with solar panels.

[Jay-qu]

Originally Posted by Boerseun

We can't attempt large-scale engineering with solar panels.

Someone hurry up and invent viable cold fusion!

[UncleAl]

How could we go about terraforming Mars?

The Atlantic Ocean averages two miles deep. The Pacific Ocean averages three miles deep. The big scoop that once filled the holes is orbiting overhead - the moon.

Aside from Olympus Mons, Mars is pretty much dead flat. If you moved one of Jupiter's wet moons to Mars for volatiles and water, all you would get is a shallow or deep puddle of a wet planet. Useless.

[infamous]

As far as terraforming concepts go, I have always believed that if we could overcome the 875 degree temp, on Venus, we might have better luck on this planet. Plenty of everything needed to sustain life, we would just need to air condition quarantined areas for life support. Huge task but I believe within the scope of reason.

[pgrmdave]

Originally Posted by UncleAl

Aside from Olympus Mons, Mars is pretty much dead flat. If you moved one of Jupiter's wet moons to Mars for volatiles and water, all you would get is a shallow or deep puddle of a wet planet. Useless.

Except for Valles Marineris, and the thousands of craters. If we were able to somehow direct the water there, we could have lakes, and possibly an ocean.

[Jay-qu]

Originally Posted by infamous

As far as terraforming concepts go, I have always believed that if we could overcome the 875 degree temp, on Venus, we might have better luck on this planet. Plenty of everything needed to sustain life, we would just need to air condition quarantined areas for life support. Huge task but I believe within the scope of reason.

isnt the atmosphere sulfuric acid... that would have to have one hell of a quarantined area...