The polar regions of Mars have a surface layer of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), but the bulk of frozen material is:
Answer
Permafrost rocks
Permanently frozen water ice
Frozen hydrogen
Frozen nitrogen
Question 2
Question
According to the book, what evidence and features may indicate the Mars once had liquid water? (Check all that apply)
Answer
What appears to be "river channels" are on the surface, indicating that water must have flowed.
Presence of "islands" around rims of craters, indicating that water likely flowed in the past.
Possible dried river deltas with fans of sediment about 13 kilometers wide.
Fossilized sea life (bacteria and algae) have been found.
A "Crater Lake" that seems to have terraces that resemble old beaches.
Question 3
Question
In the past, Mars had a [blank_start]hot interior[blank_end], which allowed for volcanism to take place on the planet. When [blank_start]volcanoes erupt[blank_end], they [blank_start]replenish gasses[blank_end] in the atmosphere, and [blank_start]increase[blank_end] the amount of CO2, a well-known greenhouse gas, making the atmosphere [blank_start]thicker[blank_end]. The greenhouse effect, in addition to a [blank_start]higher[blank_end] atmospheric pressure allowed for the surface temperature to be [blank_start]warmer[blank_end], and for [blank_start]liquid water[blank_end] to be present on the surface.
Answer
hot interior
cold interior
volcanoes erupt
meteors strike the surface
rivers flow
earthquakes occur
replenish gasses
remove gasses
increase
decrease
thicker
thinner
higher
lower
warmer
colder
liquid water
frozen water
Question 4
Question
Mars' atmosphere is made of mostly Carbon Dioxide (CO2), a well-known greenhouse gas, in fact its atmosphere closely mimics Venus' atmosphere. Greenhouse gasses trap heat in a planet's atmosphere, and increases the temperature. If this is true, why doesn't Mars' have a similar temperature to Venus?
Answer
Mars' atmosphere has a very low density, so the greenhouse effect is much weaker.
Mars is so far from the Sun that it doesn't receive enough heat to experience the greenhouse effect.
Mars' strong seasonal winds mix up the atmosphere, so any heat it traps becomes lost again.
Mars' weak magnetic field causes the atmosphere to be lost constantly, so it cannot have a greenhouse effect.
Question 5
Question
Why does Mars not have liquid water on its surface?
Answer
The low atmospheric pressure causes the water to "boil off"
The high atmospheric pressure causes the water to "boil off"
The cold temperatures freeze all the water, though this ice covers large portions of the surface.
The cold temperature causes the water to become gaseous.
Question 6
Question
Eventually Phobos (one of Mars' moons) will spiral in and crash into Mars due to tidal drag.
Answer
True
False
Question 7
Question
Deimos and Phobos, Mars' moons, are thought to be captured asteroids.