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Liquid Water on Early MarsWe have used a simple climate model to determine the duration of liquid water habitats on early Mars following up on the previous work of McKay and Davis. We used the weathering model of Pollack et al. to compute the pressure and temperature evolution of the atmosphere. We included the variability of the solar luminosity. Recent results which have considered the influence of CO2 condensation suggest that Mars could not have been kept warm (above 0 C) with only a dense CO2 atmosphere. New stellar evolution theories have suggested a more massive early sun to explain the lithium depletion in the sun and predict a warmer climate for early Mars. We have therefore modified the model of McKay and Davis to include the effects of CO2 condensation and the effect of a more massive early sun. Here we present the results of these additional effects on the duration of liquid water habitats on early Mars. We find that the increased luminosity suggested for the early sun when mass loss is taken into account can provide a climate on early Mars that results in fluvial features existing over 500 million years.
Document ID
19970022475
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Davis, Wanda L.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
McKay, Christopher P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Conference Proceedings: Basic Space Sciences
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
Issue: 320
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Report/Patent Number
NASA-TM-112671
NAS 1.15:112671
Accession Number
97N72120
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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