Mars, generally considered the most Earth-like planet in the solar system, remains a frigid desert with a thin, unbreathable atmosphere. Transforming this environment is critical to ensuring humans have a sustainable presence on the planet.

A recent study published in the journal Science Advances proposes a new approach to rapidly warming Mars using minerals found on its surface.

How to make Mars habitable?

Traditional proposals for terraforming involve transporting large amounts of material from Earth to Mars, but a new study suggests that Mars could be warmed with specially designed dust particles made from common Martian minerals.

The study found that injecting these particles into the Martian atmosphere could cause a greenhouse effect, raising the planet’s temperature by 50 degrees Celsius within months and triggering the melting of permafrost.

This suggests that the barrier to Mars’ warming that would allow liquid water to form is not as high as previously thought.
– said Edwin Kite, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago.

The key to this approach is that iron and aluminum are naturally present in Martian dust. In their natural state, these metals are poor heat sinks and cool the surface somewhat. But when they are broken down into small particles, they nanorodsthey become effective greenhouse agents.

These nanorods, about nine micrometers long (smaller than a sparkler), can fall into the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere under the influence of wind.

Once inside the mountain, the nanorods will transmit sunlight, reflect thermal radiation back to the surface, and effectively trap heat. According to the researchers, releasing particles at a rate of 10 liters per second in ten years could raise the temperature of Mars by 30 degrees Celsius, which is in contrast to the planet’s current average surface temperature of -32 degrees.

How real is it?

The proposed method would require an annual release of about two million tons of material, 5,000 times less than other geoengineering approaches. More importantly, the process could use iron and aluminum already present on Mars, increasing its realism because nothing (except equipment) would need to be delivered from Earth.

Despite its promising prospects, this approach alone will not terraform Mars; it will only be a first step toward terraforming the planet. The Martian atmosphere is still too thin to breathe, and the soil is unlikely to be suitable for agriculture.

But warming Mars is a key first step toward terraforming, and if successful, it could pave the way for further progress in making the Red Planet a habitable home for future settlers.