Scientists are investigating what kind of greenhouse effect would be needed on Mars to warm the frigid climate enough to support tree growth, reports Space.com.
A new study outlines how much carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to accumulate on the Red Planet to create an environment in which trees and other plants can thrive.
The research, led by Professor Robert Olszewski from the Warsaw University of Technology in Poland, examines the balance of surface energy on Mars. This includes processes such as condensation and evaporation of CO2, heat exchange with the planet’s interior and atmospheric circulation.
“Interestingly, the first areas to reach suitable conditions for plant life may not be the tropics (±25°), but rather the Hellas Plain,” the study authors note. “As global warming intensifies, this region is expanding further into the Southern Hemisphere.”
Using a computer model based on actual Mars data, Olszewski and his team calculated the ideal levels of CO2, oxygen, water and temperature ranges needed for tree growth.
“The current atmosphere on Mars is hostile to life, so we investigated the requirements for tree growth in the context of both planet-wide terraforming and greenhouse environments,” Olszewski explains. Temperature, he emphasized, is critical because it regulates the CO2 cycle and keeps water in a liquid state.
Oxygen levels in a denser, warmer atmosphere also remain a significant challenge.
Ultimately, the scientists concluded that the most promising conditions for a forest on Mars would be in the Southern Hemisphere, where summers are warmer and longer.
“A long, warm summer could produce the first viable growing season,” the researchers concluded. “The low elevation of the Hellas plain in particular could create the first favorable conditions for tree growth.”
