Here’s the best place to plant trees on Mars, according to scientists

With his Martian trilogy, Kim Stanley RobinsonKim Stanley Robinson is by far not the only author to have dealt with the subject of the terraforming of Mars, which remains a classic theme in science fiction. And in science itself, for that matter. Because for certain scientists and entrepreneurs like Elon MuskElon Muskturning the surface of Mars green would be within the realm of possibility.

Significantly increase atmospheric pressure

Will humanity one day see the Red Planet transform into an ersatz of the Blue Planet? For the moment in any case, the means to achieve this remain completely unclear. What is certain, however, is that such terraforming would be based on significant global warming. via the establishment of a greenhousegreenhouse lasting. It would thus be necessary to succeed in multiplying the current atmospheric pressure by 16, which is of the order of 0.6 kPa. Because it is only under these conditions that plants could maintain and develop. Of course, liquid water should be available and temperatures high enough, avoiding contrastscontrasts too great between night and day.

A team of researchers had fun calculating where and under what conditions treestrees could begin to grow on Mars as part of terraforming. The study was presented during the meeting Astrobiology and the Future of Life.

Hellas Basin would be the first to turn green

While on Earth the highest plant productivity is at the level of tropicstropicsresearchers have shown that on Mars, it would be quite different. If the climatic conditions are met, the most favorable zone for the development of the first trees could in fact be located in an area outside the tropics, in thesouthern hemispheresouthern hemisphereand more precisely in the large Hellas basin (2,300 kilometers in diameter).

This difference compared to the Earth would in fact be linked to the orbital eccentricity of the Red Planet, which is much greater than that of the Earth. The eccentricity represents the shape of the orbit. A low eccentricity means the orbit is quasi-circular, while a high eccentricity means the planet has a much more elliptical orbit. Sunshine therefore varies greatly throughout the year. Due to the inclination of the axis, it appears that the southern hemisphere of Mars is in summer at the time of perihelion, that is to say when Mars is closest to the SoleilSoleil. Its orbital revolution being 1.9 Earth years, summer therefore lasts particularly long. The additional protection provided by the low altitude of the Hellas basin would make this area rather conducive to the development of vegetation.

Also provided that it has not transformed into a sea in the meantime!