What factor in planetary resilience is cited as the ultimate deciding factor between Earth remaining a water world and Mars becoming arid?
Answer
The difference in planetary size dictating internal thermal evolution
While the magnetic shield failure was the immediate catastrophe for surface water on Mars, the underlying difference leading to this failure was the planet's size. Mars's smaller mass meant its internal heat budget depleted much faster than Earth's. Earth maintains a hot, active core sustaining the necessary dynamo effect to keep its magnetic field strong and protective. The disparity in planetary size governed the internal thermal evolution, which ultimately determined the long-term survival of surface oceans.
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