Keeping Mars warm with new super greenhouse gases

Creators: Gerstell, M. F.; Francisco, J. S.; Yung, Y. L.; Boxe, C.; Aaltonee, E. T.

Abstract

Our selection of new super greenhouse gases to fill a putative "window" in a future Martian atmosphere relies on quantum-mechanical calculations. Our study indicates that if Mars could somehow acquire an Earth-like atmospheric composition and surface pressure, then an Earth-like temperature could be sustained by a mixture of five to seven fluorine compounds. Martian mining requirements for replenishing the fluorine could be comparable to current terrestrial extraction.

Additional Information

© 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences. Edited by Donald M. Hunten, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, and approved January 11, 2001 (received for review October 26, 2000). This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office. We thank J. Blamont, A. Haldemann, and K. Nealson for stimulating discussions on climate modifications by using greenhouse gases and G. Blake for a conversation on bandwidths. We thank M. Marinova for a thoughtful reading and for pointing out a reference we had neglected. We thank the National Academy of Science's Member Editor and two anonymous referees for their comments. This research is supported in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Grant NAG5-4022 and National Science Foundation Grant AST-9816409.

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