Mars A Warmer Wetter Planet

Mars is the Solar System's other wild, wet, water world. Long believed to have become cold, dead, and dry aeons ago, we now having striking new proof, not only that Mars was a relatively warm and wet place in geologically recent times, but that even today there are vast reserves of water frozen beneath the planet's surface. This compelling new evidence may well boost the chances of a manned mission to Mars sooner, rather than later. The discovery is also forcing a complete rethink about the mechanisms of global planetary change. What does the drastic turn of events on Mars mean for Earth's climate system? Could life have thrived on Mars very recently, and might it survive today in short-term hibernation? Will humans soon be capable of living off the natural resources that Martian hydrogeology has naturally offered us? Will humans one day be capable of setting off the same chain of events that nature has repeatedly triggered to set off warm, wet episodes on Mars? How could Mars be terraformed into a New World? (And should we even contemplate doing so?) This book offers a visually beautiful, scientifically detailed and accurate presentation of the evidence that has forced this new revolution in Mars science. From the reviews:"Long believed to have been cold, dead and dry for eons, there is now striking new proof that not only was Mars a relatively warm and wet place in geologically recent times, but that even today there are vast reserves of water frozen beneath the planet's surface. In this absorbing, beautifully illustrated book, Kargel describes the still-unfolding revolution in our knowledge about the Red Planet and how future concepts of Mars will continue to be molded by new revelations of four billion years of geology". (LUNAR AND PLANETARY INFORMATION BULLETIN)nbsp; From the reviews:" This exhaustive, effusive, and enthusiastic book conveys the excitement of frontline scientific research about as well as can be done. Kargel describes himself as a member of the "Tucson Mafia," a group of scientists in full rebellion against the "Mars Establishment" and its belief in a cold, dry Mars. His ideas are presented in meticulous detail, supported by hundreds of superb pictures, many taken by the author himself. Some--perhaps most--of his ideas are controversial and may ultimately prove to be wrong, as he himself often points out, but we have to applaud the (sometimes career-risking) courage with which he has pursued them. In spite of the large amount of rather technical information, the reader is swept along by the author's enthusiasm in conveying it and ability to integrate it into a coherent vision. The reader also learns about the process of science: the thrill of having a new idea and discussing it with others at conferences and cafes (and bars), the drudgery often involved in pursuing the idea, the perils of the formal review process for publications and grant applications, and the roles played by personality conflicts and power politics. Summing Up: Enthusiastically recommended. All levels. "nbsp;(T. Barker, CHOICE, March 2005)

The latest Mars missions are returning data of unprecedented fidelity in their representation of the martian surface. New data include images with spatial resolution better than 30 cm per pixel, stereo imaging-derived terrain models with one meter postings, high-resolution imaging spectroscopy, and RADAR data that reveal subsurface structure. This book reveals how this information is being used to understand the evolution of martian landscapes, and includes topics such as fluvial flooding, permafrost and periglacial landforms, debris flows, deposition and erosion of sedimentary material, and the origin of lineaments on Phobos, the larger martian moon. Contemporary remote sensing data of Mars, on a par with those of Earth, reveal landscapes strikingly similar to regions of our own planet, so this book will be of interest to Earth scientists and planetary scientists alike. An overview chapter summarising Mars' climate, geology and exploration is included for the benefit of those new to Mars.

Rocks are time machines and the keepers of our history. This guide is a geological field trip through Earth’s incredible rock formations and the stories they hold Like rings on a tree stump hold the history of the tree, the history of Earth is written in its rocks. How to Read a Rock: Our Planet’s Hidden Stories teaches readers to decipher the rocks all around us, from backyard stones to mountain ranges, and trace Earth's history layer by layer. Spanning from prehistoric Earth’s shifting continents, to contemporary human impact, to the future surfaces of space exploration, the book reviews a remarkable array of topics, including: diamond volcanoes ancient coastlines, rivers, deserts, and coral reefs how animals have changed rocks making of mud urban rock strata human-made rocks and minerals current limestone rock crisis technofossils (the footprints humans will leave behind through their material goods) How to Read a Rock's brilliant imagery captures the power, majesty, and history of the planet. Rocks carry the memories of dinosaur landscapes and vanished oceans; show evidence of the greening of the planet and the effect of natural forces; and convey clues on climate and energy consumption. The book unearths the most fascinating stories rocks can tell us, not only about our past, but how the past can help imagine the future.

Is the Earth the right model and the only universal key to understand habitability, the origin and maintenance of life? Are we able to detect life elsewhere in the universe by the existing techniques and by the upcoming space missions? This book tries to give answers by focusing on environmental properties, which are playing a major role in influencing planetary surfaces or the interior of planets and satellites. The book gives insights into the nature of planets or satellites and their potential to harbor life. Different scientific disciplines are searching for the clues to classify planetary bodies as a habitable object and what kind of instruments and what kind of space exploration missions are necessary to detect life. Results from model calculations, field studies and from laboratory studies in planetary simulation facilities will help to elucidate if some of the planets and satellites in our solar system as well as in extra-solar systems are potentially habitable for life.

Follow the course of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers Mission. Learn how scientists determined that there was once water on Mars and how they resolved problems with the rovers in order to prolong the mission.

This Very Short Introduction discusses the nature of planets and gas giants, and their rings and moons. It also looks beyond Pluto, in the Kuiper Belt, at the knowledge we have about planets around other stars. With many striking photos to illustrate the details, it demonstrates the unique world of every planet.

Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream; the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with illustrations, photographs, and engaging anecdotes. The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions. It explains step-by-step how we can use present-day technology to send humans to Mars within ten years; actually produce fuel and oxygen on the planet's surface with Martian natural resources; how we can build bases and settlements; and how we can one day "terraform" Mars; a process that can alter the atmosphere of planets and pave the way for sustainable life.