Terraform Mars?

Terraform Mars?

Settlement on a Terraformed MarsRecently, a well know scientist suggested that Mars is a perfect terraforming target. Lowell Wood, a noted physicist and a former employee of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said, “I suggest that the near-term outlook is that Mars will be terraformed.”

Notice that he didn’t say eventually or someday. He said “near-term.” He explains that he believes the terraforming could be seriously underway by the middle of this century and completed by the end of the 21st century. Interestingly, he claims that humans have been terraforming Earth for centuries (see the definition of terraforming linked above for more understanding). Of course this is on a much smaller scale as Earth is already habitable.

Wood said that Mars currently is “stuck” in a semi-permanent “thermal depression.” But there is a multiplicity of design solutions, he foresees, such as engineering an artificial greenhouse effect at the planet that warms the world and makes it “a more preferred planet.”

Overall, Wood said that a workable plan can be scripted to raise the average temperature of Mars, rid the world of excess carbon dioxide, as well as generate soil to support agriculture.

For more comments by Wood, check out the article on SPACE.com. Also, learn how the terraforming might be accomplished by reading the HowStuffWorks.com article.

One Response

  1. Dave says:

    It’s a nice idea, but if we can’t even clean up our own inhabitable environment, how are we going to create a new one on a separate planet? I think we should invest in making our own air breathable and as carcinogen-free as possible before we start tinkering with another planet’s environment.

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