Transforming Mars: The Ocean Experiment

InfoThis is a summary of the following YouTube video:

What if we teleported the oceans to Mars?

xkcd's What If?

Aug 13, 2024

·

Science & Technology

Mars would become a water-rich planet

  1. The question explores the hypothetical scenario of draining Earth's oceans and transferring the water to Mars, specifically on top of the Curiosity rover.
  2. Mars currently has a significant amount of water, but it is mostly in frozen form due to the planet's cold temperatures and low atmospheric pressure.
  3. Liquid water is rare on Mars because it either freezes or sublimates, but it can exist at the lowest elevations on warm days due to higher atmospheric pressures.
  4. Dumping Earth's oceans onto Mars would not result in immediate freezing because the planet's temperatures are not extremely low, and the salt in ocean water lowers the freezing point.
  5. The scenario would transform Gale Crater, where Curiosity is located, into a lake, eventually submerging the rover under hundreds of meters of water.

Mars transformed by Earth's oceans

  1. The water from Earth's oceans would freeze both from above and below due to Mars' sub-freezing surface temperatures, creating ice-dirt chunks that float like icebergs.
  2. Mount Sharp would initially become an island surrounded by ice-covered water, but eventually, the water would overflow the crater's north rim, flowing northward and pooling in the North Polar Basin.
  3. A layer of sea ice and rockbergs would form on top of the water, and while real Martian water releases freeze and sublimate quickly, the vast amount of ocean water would gradually fill the basin.
  4. The water would cover the Phoenix and Viking landers unless they are lifted by the ice to float on the surface, leaving much of Mars' land still far from the water.
  5. The Valles Marineris would fill with water, creating unusual coastlines, and the flow would eventually reach the Hellas Impact Crater, likely destroying the Perseverance rover in the process.
  6. The resulting map of Mars would feature a crinkly coastline, reminiscent of a fantasy novel map, inviting speculation about potential kingdoms in the southern hemisphere.

Mars oceans freeze or warm atmosphere

  1. The text explores the hypothetical scenario of teleporting Earth's oceans to Mars, focusing on the changes this would bring to the Martian landscape.
  2. Initially, the water would cover most of Mars' high southern plateaus, leaving only a few islands, while Olympus Mons and other volcanoes would remain above water due to their height.
  3. The oceans on Mars would persist for a long time, as the planet's surface already contains at least 2% ice by weight, which slowly moves to the poles through sublimation and atmospheric circulation.
  4. Over time, the water would freeze, forming thick ice layers, and the surface would sublimate to the poles, potentially leaving a dusty, rocky surface over ice in equatorial regions.
  5. Alternatively, the presence of water, a potent greenhouse gas, might warm Mars' atmosphere, keeping the oceans liquid, similar to Earth's conditions.