Re: How to really terraform (part 1)

From: Andrew Usher (k_over_hbarc_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 06/14/04 

Date: 13 Jun 2004 21:11:57 -0700

Scott Lowther <scottlowtherHATESSPAM@ix.netcomARGH.com> wrote in message news:<40CBF4DA.45B1@ix.netcomARGH.com>...
> Andrew Usher wrote:
>
> > We must transport that amount of ice from the poles to the equator,
> > forever.
>
> That's easy. Slam asteroids and comets into the Martian poles. Problem
> solved.
>

Well, it depends on how much water you get to come down in the
tropical regions.
Once that evaporates you're back where you started. Also, you still
have no precipitation, making the introduction of forest impossible.

>
> > Whether they can or not, another problem is the relative lack of N2
> > and O2 in the air. This can be addressed by finding deposits of
> > nitrates,
>
> Or by picking and choosing the comets you slam into Mars. Go for high
> nitrogen content ice bodies if you want to add nitrogen. Heck, mine the
> stuff from the moons of Jupiter or Saturn, or the Saturn ring system.

Comets will add N2 to the air. However, they will subtract O2, as all
the methane and ammonia will oxidise in the atmosphere. Again, plants
require O2, and likely don't do well with a lot of free ammonia in the
air.

We would possibly use comets in the later stages to fine tune the
atmosphere, and I plan to discuss it in part 2.

Andrew Usher

Relevant Pages

  • Article: Dusty nursery bears baby comets
    ... Ice spied in particles circling young stars. ... The dusty disks that swirl around new stars contain some of the building ... first seeds for planets and also comprise the starting materials for comets. ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: How to really terraform (part 1)
    ... Slam asteroids and comets into the Martian poles. ... > and O2 in the air. ... Or by picking and choosing the comets you slam into Mars. ... stuff from the moons of Jupiter or Saturn, or the Saturn ring system. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Space Policy Sucks, while theres Life on Venus
    ... There is a lot of spectroscopic evidence for water ice in comets. ... producing hard evidence, and the standard of evidence is sticking things in ... Comets don't have to be 1000 km wide to make it to the inner solar ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Comet deflection capability
    ... > rocky core and asteroids are pure rock so would be ... Comets are not at all likely to be ice on ...
    (sci.astro)
  • Re: Comet deflection capability
    ... > rocky core and asteroids are pure rock so would be ... Comets are not at all likely to be ice on ...
    (sci.geo.geology)