Is Life Possible On Mars By Using Interplanetary Comparative Analysis
Is life possible on Mars?
Geologists study the surface of both Mars and Earth by using interplanetary comparative analysis to further their understanding of the two planets. C.S Lewis, has a mind and imagination of his own when it comes to life on Mars, or as he calls it, Malacandra; A world where life exists, a world where humans can inhabit and explore this fantasy created by Lewis. Now, can these fantastic and unreal situations illustrated by Lewis be realistically possible today? There is hope and many great possibilities on Mars that are yet to be proven and uncovered for the human population …show more content…
There is a continual redistribution of eroded debris, giving the surface of both planets a pitted or sculptured appearance. With wind comes dust and dust storms are prevalent on both Mars and Earth. One remarkable phenomenon on Mars is the presence of global dust storms. They begin in the southern hemisphere during the summer and occur every year. According to Carr, as dust enters the atmosphere, the air heats up during the day, creating vast temperature differences between night and day. These temperature differences stir up large winds that swirl more dust through the air. Each dust storm feeds on itself. Dust continues to build until sunlight is filtered out, causing temperatures to rise and fall. The winds then drop and the dust settles. Overall, the dust storm will last about 3 months from start to finish (Images 27). Martian dust storms, or yellow clouds, resemble smoke rather than dust as seen on Earth (Michaux 101). Michaux explains that Earth dust consists of primarily transparent quartz sand of a larger size than the minute powdery material on Mars (101). Dust storms on Mars seem to be much more violent than dust storms on Earth, mainly due to the wind velocity and the amount of blowing particles. That is, more material is carried aloft and sustained for a longer period of time. In contrast, “the horizontal wind velocities necessary to initiate grain movement are considerably greater than on Earth” (Michaux, 104). Wind velocities ranging from 80 meters per second up to 110 meters per second have been measured. Also, “the vertical wind velocities necessary to maintain particles aloft are less than on Earth over a rather large range of grain sizes” (Michaux, 104). In such an environment, spacecraft could not
Geologists study the surface of both Mars and Earth by using interplanetary comparative analysis to further their understanding of the two planets. C.S Lewis, has a mind and imagination of his own when it comes to life on Mars, or as he calls it, Malacandra; A world where life exists, a world where humans can inhabit and explore this fantasy created by Lewis. Now, can these fantastic and unreal situations illustrated by Lewis be realistically possible today? There is hope and many great possibilities on Mars that are yet to be proven and uncovered for the human population …show more content…
There is a continual redistribution of eroded debris, giving the surface of both planets a pitted or sculptured appearance. With wind comes dust and dust storms are prevalent on both Mars and Earth. One remarkable phenomenon on Mars is the presence of global dust storms. They begin in the southern hemisphere during the summer and occur every year. According to Carr, as dust enters the atmosphere, the air heats up during the day, creating vast temperature differences between night and day. These temperature differences stir up large winds that swirl more dust through the air. Each dust storm feeds on itself. Dust continues to build until sunlight is filtered out, causing temperatures to rise and fall. The winds then drop and the dust settles. Overall, the dust storm will last about 3 months from start to finish (Images 27). Martian dust storms, or yellow clouds, resemble smoke rather than dust as seen on Earth (Michaux 101). Michaux explains that Earth dust consists of primarily transparent quartz sand of a larger size than the minute powdery material on Mars (101). Dust storms on Mars seem to be much more violent than dust storms on Earth, mainly due to the wind velocity and the amount of blowing particles. That is, more material is carried aloft and sustained for a longer period of time. In contrast, “the horizontal wind velocities necessary to initiate grain movement are considerably greater than on Earth” (Michaux, 104). Wind velocities ranging from 80 meters per second up to 110 meters per second have been measured. Also, “the vertical wind velocities necessary to maintain particles aloft are less than on Earth over a rather large range of grain sizes” (Michaux, 104). In such an environment, spacecraft could not