Scientists Propose Idea to Warm Mars
2024-08-16
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1The idea of turning Mars into a livable world for humans is a common element of science fiction.
2But could such an action be done in real life?
3Scientists are now proposing a new method to warm up Earth's planetary neighbor.
4The idea involves putting engineered particles made of iron or aluminum into the atmosphere.
5The goal is to trap escaping heat and direct sunlight toward the Martian surface.
6The proposed idea would be to increase the natural greenhouse effect on Mars and raise its surface temperature by around 28 degrees Celsius over ten years.
7Such a change alone would not make Mars livable for people.
8But the scientists who developed the idea see it as a possible first step.
9Edwin Kite of the University of Chicago helped lead the study that appeared recently in the publication Science Advances.
10Kite described the process of terraforming - meaning to change a planet's environment to be more like Earth.
11"For Mars, warming the planet is a necessary, but insufficient, first step.
12Previous concepts have focused on releasing greenhouse gases, but these require large amounts of resources that are scarce on Mars," he said.
13Kite added that climate modeling suggests the new idea of using engineered particles to warm Mars' atmosphere could work better than previous ideas.
14Kite explained that the work is important because it presents a possible method that could help future exploration plans.
15NASA has sent robotic vehicles to explore the Martian surface and the InSight Lander to study the planet's interior.
16The U.S. space agency's Artemis program aims to put astronauts in the coming years on the moon's surface for the first time since 1972 in preparation for possible future human missions to Mars.
17There are several barriers to human settlements on Mars.
18They include a lack of breathable oxygen, harmful ultraviolet radiation, salty soil, and dust storms that sometimes cover much of the planet.
19And Mars' cold temperatures are a serious issue.
20The median Martian surface temperature is about minus-65 degrees Celsius.
21With its thin atmosphere, solar heat on the Martian surface easily escapes into space.
22The proposal would aim to permit liquid water to exist on the surface of Mars,
23which has water in the form of ice at its polar areas and its subsurface.
24The scientists proposed continuously releasing tiny particles, called nanorods, into the atmosphere at a rate of about 30 liters per second for years.
25Samaneh Ansari of Northwestern University in Illinois is the study's lead writer.
26Ansari said, "The idea is to either ship the material or better yet, ship the manufacturing tool and make the nanorods on the planet since iron and aluminum are abundant on the surface of Mars."
27The researchers are mindful of the possibility of unintended consequences in terraforming another world.
28Scientists, for instance, are eager to learn whether Mars has held life in the past - or perhaps currently, in the form of subsurface microbes.
29Kite suggested that the costs and benefits of releasing nanorods are uncertain.
30For example, he said if Mars' soil has compounds that are harmful to life from Earth, then the benefit of warming Mars is zero.
31I'm John Russell.
1The idea of turning Mars into a livable world for humans is a common element of science fiction. But could such an action be done in real life? 2Scientists are now proposing a new method to warm up Earth's planetary neighbor. The idea involves putting engineered particles made of iron or aluminum into the atmosphere. The goal is to trap escaping heat and direct sunlight toward the Martian surface. 3The proposed idea would be to increase the natural greenhouse effect on Mars and raise its surface temperature by around 28 degrees Celsius over ten years. 4Such a change alone would not make Mars livable for people. But the scientists who developed the idea see it as a possible first step. 5Edwin Kite of the University of Chicago helped lead the study that appeared recently in the publication Science Advances. 6Kite described the process of terraforming - meaning to change a planet's environment to be more like Earth. "For Mars, warming the planet is a necessary, but insufficient, first step. Previous concepts have focused on releasing greenhouse gases, but these require large amounts of resources that are scarce on Mars," he said. 7Kite added that climate modeling suggests the new idea of using engineered particles to warm Mars' atmosphere could work better than previous ideas. Kite explained that the work is important because it presents a possible method that could help future exploration plans. 8NASA has sent robotic vehicles to explore the Martian surface and the InSight Lander to study the planet's interior. The U.S. space agency's Artemis program aims to put astronauts in the coming years on the moon's surface for the first time since 1972 in preparation for possible future human missions to Mars. 9There are several barriers to human settlements on Mars. They include a lack of breathable oxygen, harmful ultraviolet radiation, salty soil, and dust storms that sometimes cover much of the planet. And Mars' cold temperatures are a serious issue. 10The median Martian surface temperature is about minus-65 degrees Celsius. With its thin atmosphere, solar heat on the Martian surface easily escapes into space. The proposal would aim to permit liquid water to exist on the surface of Mars, which has water in the form of ice at its polar areas and its subsurface. 11The scientists proposed continuously releasing tiny particles, called nanorods, into the atmosphere at a rate of about 30 liters per second for years. 12Samaneh Ansari of Northwestern University in Illinois is the study's lead writer. Ansari said, "The idea is to either ship the material or better yet, ship the manufacturing tool and make the nanorods on the planet since iron and aluminum are abundant on the surface of Mars." 13The researchers are mindful of the possibility of unintended consequences in terraforming another world. Scientists, for instance, are eager to learn whether Mars has held life in the past - or perhaps currently, in the form of subsurface microbes. 14Kite suggested that the costs and benefits of releasing nanorods are uncertain. For example, he said if Mars' soil has compounds that are harmful to life from Earth, then the benefit of warming Mars is zero. 15I'm John Russell. 16Will Dunham reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17_______________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19fiction - n. an invented story 20greenhouse effect - n. warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of a planet that is caused by conversion of solar radiation into heat 21insufficient - adj. not enough, inadequate 22concept - n. an abstract or generic idea 23focus - v. to concentrate attention or effort 24median -- n. the middle value of a range of values 25polar - adj. of or relating to a geographic pole 26abundant -- adj. existing or occurring in large amounts 27consequence -- n. something produced by a cause