A dense early atmosphere has been invoked to explain the strong greenhouse effect inferred for early Mars. Yet an analysis of the smallest impact craters suggests that the atmospheric pressure on Mars 3.6 billion years ago was surprisingly low.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Carr, M. H. Water on Mars (Oxford Univ. Press, 1996).
Pollack, J. B., Kasting, J. F., Richardson, S. M. & Poliakoff, K. Icarus 71, 203–224 (1987).
Kite, E. S., Williams, J-P., Lucas, A. & Aharonson, O. Nature Geosci. 7, 335–339 (2014).
Kite, E. S., Lucas A. & Fassett, C. I. Icarus 225, 850–855 (2013).
Gough, D. O. Solar Phys. 74, 21–34 (1981).
Haberle, R. M. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 28467–28479 (1998).
Laskar, J. et al. Icarus 170, 343–364 (2004).
Bowen, B. B., Benison, K. C. & Story, S. in Sedimentary Geology of Mars (eds Grotzinger, J. P. & Milliken, R. E.) 229–252 (SEPM Special Publication 102, 2012).
Toon, O. B., Segura, T. & Zahnle, K. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 38, 303–322 (2010).
Manga, M., Patel, A., Dufek, J. & Kite, E. S. Geophys. Res. Lett. 39, L01202 (2012).
Som, S. M., Catling, D. C., Harnmeijer, J. P., Polivka, P. M. & Buick, R. Nature 484, 359–362 (2012).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Som, S. Into thin martian air. Nature Geosci 7, 329–330 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2145
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2145