What Is Mars' Highest Temperature?

Mars is a very cold place. It is colder than the Earth because the planet is smaller, further from the sun and has a thinner atmosphere. However, since Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system, it is the best candidate for colonization. Terraforming, the process of transforming another planet to make it more habitable to humans, could make Mars dramatically warmer and make its atmosphere suitable to support human life.

History

Mars is approximately 4.6 billion years old. There are channels on the planet. These channels are strong evidence that water once flowed over its surface. According to NASA, this proves that Mars was once much warmer than it is now.

Features

The highest recorded surface temperature on Mars is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest recorded atmospheric temperature, on the other hand, is -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the air is made up primarily of carbon dioxide, Mars has a greenhouse effect which traps heat in the atmosphere. However, since the atmosphere is 100 times less dense than that of Earth, the greenhouse effect doesn't significantly affect the planet's temperatures. Mars also has an elliptical orbit. This causes its distance from the sun to vary. Mars has a day which is about 24 hours and 39 minutes long. The features conspire to keep the planet's atmosphere very cold.

Function

The thin atmosphere of Mars allows a great deal of solar radiation through to the planet's surface. This allows the temperature of the surface to heat up to a much higher temperature than that of the air. Also, the surface of Mars doesn't exchange heat with the atmosphere as readily as Earth's does. Mars' axis is tilted at a similar angle to Earth. This causes Mars to have seasons. The maximum temperatures on Mars take place at the equator during summer. There are frequent dust storms on Mars that often increase its atmospheric temperature.

Potential

Lowell Wood, a retired physicist who previously worked for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, believes that man could terraform Mars by creating an artificial greenhouse effect to make it warmer. He states that Mars is experiencing a "thermal depression," and that we could produce global warming on Mars in the same way that we've produced it here on Earth.

Time Frame

Dr. Lowell Wood believes that Mars can be made livable by the end of the 21st century. NASA similarly has stated that raising the temperature and atmospheric pressure on Mars could be accomplished in as little as a few decades. Chlorofluorocarbons could be released into the atmosphere, causing the average temperature to increase as much as 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

Resources

• See the Red Planet