05-02-2007, 11:53 PM
Technically Mars does have an atmosphere, but it's made up mostly of Carbon Dioxide. If I'm not mistaken, Earth was once like that.
*Checks chemistry revision guide*
Yeah, volcanoes on early earth gave off CO2 and water vapour. This vapour then condensed to become the oceans, and from this plants evolved to take in the CO2 and give off oxygen. Once this happened, animals that breathe oxygen could evolve. Also, an ozone layer which keeps it all in formed.
So there we go, the vital thing missing for that to happen on Mars is water vapour. Water IS the building block for life. But Mars has volcanoes yeah? So perhaps if these gave out water vapour like the early Earth ones did, the same could happen on there. It's fascinating.
Yeahh ok, I'm a chemistry nerd.
*Checks chemistry revision guide*
Yeah, volcanoes on early earth gave off CO2 and water vapour. This vapour then condensed to become the oceans, and from this plants evolved to take in the CO2 and give off oxygen. Once this happened, animals that breathe oxygen could evolve. Also, an ozone layer which keeps it all in formed.
So there we go, the vital thing missing for that to happen on Mars is water vapour. Water IS the building block for life. But Mars has volcanoes yeah? So perhaps if these gave out water vapour like the early Earth ones did, the same could happen on there. It's fascinating.
Yeahh ok, I'm a chemistry nerd.

