NAI
2001 Annual Science Report
University of Colorado, Boulder
Reporting | JUL 2000 – JUN 2001
Planetary Climates
4
Institutions
3
Teams
0
Publications
0
Field Sites
Project Progress
Planetary Climates (dm)
We have made considerable progress understanding the role of large impacts in freeing water on Mars. We have cataloged the larger craters on the planet, and have performed simulations showing that considerable heating of subsurface reservoirs can occur. We have also completed a study showing that carbon dioxide clouds were not important for warming early Mars. New work is being conducted on the small stream beds recently observed on mars.
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PROJECT INVESTIGATORS:
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PROJECT MEMBERS:
Owen Toon
Project Investigator
Erica Barth
Graduate Student
Jennifer Heldmann
Graduate Student
Kevin McGouldrick
Graduate Student
Elinor Newman
Graduate Student
Teresa Segura
Graduate Student
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RELATED OBJECTIVES:
Objective 5.0
Describe the sequences of causes and effects associated with the development of Earth's early biosphere and the global environment.
Objective 8.0
Search for evidence of ancient climates, extinct life and potential habitats for extant life on Mars.
Objective 11.0
Determine (theoretically and empirically) the ultimate outcome of the planet-forming process around other stars, especially the habitable ones.
Objective 12.0
Define climatological and geological effects upon the limits of habitable zones around the Sun and other stars to help define the frequency of habitable planets in the universe.
Objective 15.0
Model the future habitability of Earth by examining the interactions between the biosphere and the chemistry and radiation balance of the atmosphere.