To establish long-term colonies on Mars, the conditions of the planet must be changed, as this planet is a highly inhospitable and unsuitable place to live. One of the main problems is the low temperature, which averages -64 °C. Therefore, to make Mars habitable, we need to increase its average temperature. Scientists have found a way to do this 5,000 times more efficiently than previous strategies.
A team led by engineer Samaneh Ansari from Northwestern University in the US proposes gradually warming Mars by releasing microscopic metal chips into the atmosphere. This would create and maintain a greenhouse effect. According to geophysicist Edwin Kite, the project would require millions of tons of metal. But even this amount is very small compared to previous proposals.
The greenhouse effect is the most effective method of creating comfortable temperature conditions on the planet. Previously, it was proposed to use greenhouse gases, but Mars lacks many of the necessary ingredients for this. However, the surface soil of Mars is rich in metallic minerals such as aluminum and iron, which could be used to create a greenhouse effect.
Slow terraforming process
Ansari and her colleagues modeled the use of metal dust to capture solar heat. They calculated that if the metal nanorods were released at a rate of 30 liters/second, over time they would melt the surface ice and increase the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere, creating conditions for photosynthetic organisms to survive. However, this process will take several decades. In addition, it will make Mars uninhabitable for humans because there will not be enough oxygen in the atmosphere. However, creating conditions for microbes that can produce oxygen would be an important step toward terraforming the planet.
There are also problems that need to be solved. It is not known how long metal dust will remain in the atmosphere of Mars. It is also possible that dust attracts water particles, causing nanoparticles to fall as rain. This problem needs further research.
But this discovery brings us closer to the dream of sustainable life on Mars and could be an important step in that direction.
According to sciencealert.com
