What physical feature’s absence on Mars results in atmospheric stripping due to solar wind bombardment?
Answer
Global magnetic field
A critical barrier to successfully terraforming Mars is the lack of a global magnetic field, often referred to as a magnetosphere. This protective envelope, generated naturally by Earth's active core, is essential because it shields the planet from the constant, high-energy stream of particles emanating from the Sun, known as the solar wind. Without this magnetic shielding, any atmosphere that is painstakingly developed over centuries—whether naturally accumulated or artificially created—is relentlessly eroded and stripped away into space. Current measurements indicate that Mars is actively losing atmospheric gases at a rate of one to two kilograms every second due to this unimpeded solar wind interaction.
Related Questions
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