The geological and climatological case for a warmer and wetter early Mars

Abstract

The climate of early Mars remains a topic of intense debate. Ancient terrains preserve landscapes consistent with stream channels, lake basins, and possibly even oceans, and thus the presence of liquid water flowing on the Martian surface 4 billion years ago. However, despite the geological evidence, determining how long climatic conditions supporting liquid water lasted remains uncertain. Climate models have struggled to generate sufficiently warm surface conditions given the faint young Sun - even assuming a denser early atmosphere. A warm climate could have potentially been sustained by supplementing atmospheric CO2 and H2O warming with either secondary greenhouse gases or clouds. Alternatively, the Martian climate could have been predominantly cold and icy, with transient warming episodes triggered by meteoritic impacts, volcanic eruptions, methane bursts, or limit cycles. Here, we argue that a warm and semi-arid climate capable of producing rain is most consistent with the geological and climatological evidence.

arXiv comment26 pages, 4 figures, 2 boxes (published in Nature Geoscience)

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• Climate simulations of early Mars with estimated precipitation, runoff, and erosion rates
• Measurements and semi-empirical calculations of CO2+CH4 and CO2+H2 collision-induced absorption across a wide range of wavelengths and temperatures. Application for the prediction of early Mars surface temperature
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• Active Galactic Nuclei: Boon or Bane for Biota?
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• H${}_2$O${}_2$-induced Greenhouse Warming on Oxidized Early Mars
• Relative abundances of CO2, CO, and CH4 in atmospheres of Earth-like lifeless planets
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• Inverted Channel Belts and Floodplain Clays to the East of Tempe Terra, Mars: Implications for Persistent Fluvial Activity on Early Mars
• The Most Common Habitable Planets II -- Salty Oceans in Low Mass Habitable Planets and Global Climate Evolution
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• Behaviors of Martian CO2-driven dry climate system and conditions for atmospheric collapses