1. Why is Venus not as suitable as Earth for human life?
Venus is not as suitable as Earth for human life because Earth has vast quantites of liquid water needed for life, while Venus has a dry surface, although there may have been water at one time. The Earth remains a warm temperature due to the greenhouse effect, which traps radiation from the sun. The temperature on Earth are perfect for sustaining life, while Venus is too hot for life. Even landers that have traveled to Venus on exploration missions have failed after a few hours due to the extreme heat. The atmosphere of Venus is so dense that it would crush a human if they stood on the surface of Venus. Venus is surrounded by a layer of sulfuric acid clouds, which produce acid rain, which
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What would make Mars a challenging place for humans to live? How may Mars have been different in the past?
Mars would be a challenging place for humans to live because of its dry conditions (lack of water) and cold temperatures. The frequent sandstorms and dust devils whipping across the surface of the planet would also make human existence difficult. Scientists believe that Mars had a think atmosphere in the past. They also think Mars was warmer and may have once contained liquid water.
3. What is present in the atmosphere of all three planets? How do the three planets compare in the amount of this in their atmospheres?
Carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere of all three planets. Compared to Earth, Venus has about 218,250 more times carbon dioxide, while Mars has about 23 times more carbon dioxide.
4. Why is the level of carbon dioxide on Mars surprising? What explains this?
The level of carbon dioxide on Mars is surprising because the planet is cold, even with the presence of 23 times more carbon dioxide than the Earth. This means sense though, because Mars is much farther away from the sun than the other inner planets, so its levels of carbon dioxide capture much less of the sun’s radiation than that of Venus and Earth.
Many rovers have been sent to the surface to see if it is in fact capable of supporting life, either unknown to us or us. Scientists have turned toward Mars to search for any life forms to prove humans could actually survive on its surface. While it is possible for us to survive with current technology, if we were to travel to Mars, it wouldn’t be a life of luxury. Michael Gainer in his article “Should We Colonize Mars?” discusses the downfalls of the climate. Mars’s climate is much more hazardous than Earth’s with many long lasting hurricanes, high levels of radiation, and poor, if any, farming soil. Colonists would be living in pressurized bubbles and would need special suits to step outside. It would be difficult to get around and medical supplies may not always be readily available. Outside there would be no trees whispering in the wind, no singing birds, no skin burning summer days. No deep blue oceans, no rapid running rivers, cold refreshing lakes or streams. Looking out the window one would see miles upon miles of reddish-beige sand blowing in the
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun at about 228 million-km (141 million miles) and the last terrestrial planet from the sun. The next five planets in order from the sun are gaseous. Mars follows closely behind Earth but is comparatively smaller, with about half the diameter of Earth and about one-tenth of Earth’s mass. Thus the force of gravity on Mars is about one-third of that on Earth. Though it is much smaller, Mars does have the same surface land area as Earth. Other than Earth, Mars posses the most highly varied and interesting known terrain in our solar system. The surface of Mars is a very hostile place however it is more like Earth’s surface than any other planet in our solar system.
Known as “Earth’s twin”, Venus is very similar to Earth in composition, size, mass, and gravity. However, their temperatures are not so similar. The average temperature on Venus is a toasty 460 degrees Celsius (864 degrees Fahrenheit), as opposed to the cool 14 degrees Celsius (58.3 degrees Fahrenheit) Earth experiences. Needless to say, it would not be an ideal vacation spot. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, thanks to the runaway greenhouse effect. The atmosphere of Venus is also majorly different from Earth. It is composed of 97% carbon dioxide and 3% sulfuric acid, with an atmospheric pressure that is ninety-two times that of Earth. This pressure would be the same as being in the lowest depths of the ocean on Earth. However, like Earth, Venus is one of the four terrestrial planets, meaning it has a rocky surface, and a surface area of 177.7 million square miles. The gravity, which is 8.87 meters per second is very similar to Earth. Its mass is also very similar, 4.867E24 kilograms, and a density of 5.20 grams per centimeter.
Although some were used to warm weather, no one was able to prepare them for the heat. Because Mars is also a bit tropical, certain species could be a threat to the humans. Due to the radiation, snakes and fish were twice the size than the ones found on Earth, and half were poisonous. Scientists provided the population with a weeks worth of water supply, and packets filled with information about the new planet, including pictures of poisonous animals and plants. Scientists knew that Mars would be a relatively warm planet, so the population packed accordingly, but with a limited water supply many got dehydrated. After a week, they were able to find a water source, and it healed many. After finding water, they were able to catch fish and other sea creatures to eat. The population used rocks and thick sticks to make spears to hunt the fish, but they were unable to make weapons large enough to take down land predators. Scientists also sent vegetable and plant seeds with the population so they were able to plant some vegetables like squash and potatoes. The population still struggled to get proper protein. Because of their healthy diet, the population was relatively healthy but some complications would come about due to lack of protein, especially in young adults. Mars was hot year round, when spring came they did get a lot of rain and were able
The water contained under the soil has had some various effects on the Mars terrain. When the robots were on mars collecting samples, they found some rocks that looked like rocks from prehistoric life here on earth. When analyzing these samples, the scientists deemed that the water was very acidic and salty. This is similar to some of the earlier times in the Australian area.
The unknown creatures of the new territory could create potential health issues to humans. If humans are expose to diseases and comeback to Earth. The spread of bringing “deadly Martian microbes” a risk not worth taking back to human civilization is a risk… (Scientific America 2). Landing in an uncharted territory could be extremely thin and cold. This uncharted territories atmosphere is thin and cold it might react with the Martian microbes and make them more deadly or have a negative impact on the human body such as health risks of hypothermia.
For the entirety of our planets history, carbon dioxide levels have never risen above 300. In the 1950s it had rose to a little under 320. By the 2000s it had gone all the way up to a little under400.
In the past the temperature highs and lows have been in tandem with carbon dioxide level highs and lows, this does çijopnot seem to be a mere coincidence. Carbon dioxide currently accounts for 0.03% of the gas content within the atmosphere. However, it has a disproportionate impact on the earth's temperature. Thus, minor fluctuations in the percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide will likely have a significant effect on the global temperature. The percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen over the past century at an alarming rate. Industrial civilization is essentially driven by fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gasoline all major contributors to the raise in carbon dioxide emissions. Deforestation also releases carbon dioxide via burning and exposing the soil to sunlight. Also, since trees are a major factor in the natural processing of carbon dioxide, needing it to make up their mass, when they are cut down they can no longer serve to absorb carbon dioxide.
Venus was formed 4.6 billion years ago along with the Sun and the solar system. Large amounts of dust and gases accumulated over many years to form the planet. Venus is thought to be the result of a large collision. This is due to the fact that Venus rotates differently than the other planets in our solar system. Venus is commonly referred to as Earth's "sister planet" because of their similarity in size as well as a similar gravitational force. Although Venus and Earth share some similarities, it has shown to be very different from Earth in many other aspects. It has the most dense atmosphere out of the four terrestrial planets. Venus consists of more than 96% carbon dioxide. The surface shows evidence of extreme volcanism, and the sulfur in the atmosphere may mean that there have been some recent eruptions. Venus is covered by a thick atmosphere, creating a blazing environment with temperatures reaching high enough to melt lead. Much of Venus's surface appears to have been shaped by volcanic activity. Venus is home to about 167 large volcanoes. Some stretching over 100 km long. Ven...
The amount of CO2 in a planet's atmosphere affects the temperature of the planet. As more and more CO2 builds up in the atmosphere, less heat can escape and the planet gets hotter. The CO2 traps radiation from the sun like a greenhouse. This is called global warming or the greenhouse effect. Global warming is becoming a serious problem and CO2 is the major cause. The earth is now warmer than it has been in 1000's of years. The amount of CO2 deposited in the earth's atmosphere from human activities is expected to double by the year 2050. It could possible increase by four in the future with developing countries, such as China, anxious to improve their standard of living.
In order to talk about global warming, we must first learn what causes the greenhouse effect. The three most common greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. Many of the sun’s rays are absorbed by water vapor. Water vapor is a natural atmospheric gas and it accounts for “80 percent of natural greenhouse warming; the remaining 20 percent is due to other gasses that are present in very small amounts” (Murck, Skinner, and Porter 488).
Venus is the second planet closest to the Sun. It is the sixth largest planet in the solar system. A day in Venus lasts 243 days in earth years. One year on Venus is about 224 Earth days. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system with an average of 840 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to a chart made by NASA, it shows that the number of atmospheric carbon dioxide in these 650,000 years. For the past 650,000 years, the number of atmospheric carbon dioxide were lower than the carbon dioxide
...ws radiation from the sun to expose the surface of the planet, adding to environment changes. If life exists on Mars today, it is most likely hiding beneath the surface. Over the past four billion years Earth has had many rocks blown from the surface of Mars, after much research, scientists say that of the thirty-four meteorites, three have the potential to carry evidence of past life on Mars (Carey, 2006). Researches have gathered evidence and continue to explore for life outside of Earth. Earth has provided these scientists with enough knowledge to understand the components needed to sustain life, therefore any research found is compared to the knowledge already understood about life on Earth. Earth is home to billions of plants, animals, bacteria and all types of living things, it is where human beings have evolved and adapted making this planet our home.
Most gases in the atmosphere do little to enhance global surface temperatures, in fact, the two most abundant gases, namely nitrogen and oxygen, contribute little or nothing to increased temperatures at the surface. However, some ...