Solar Wind Rips Up Martian Atmosphere
As more and more data comes back from our research vehicles on and about Mars, we learn that maybe Mars was once very much like home — Earth.
Recently, scientists have learned from the data that Mars periodically has some of its existing atmosphere ripped away by solar winds. Mars’ magnetic field isn’t a bubble that surrounds the planet like ours here on Earth. Mars has magnetic umbrellas. These umbrellas seem to help the solar winds rip out gouts of atmosphere from the planet.
Scientists will need more data to determine the exact mechanism as to how this happens and how often. Hopefully, as more research and data gathering vehicles are sent to Mars the data will be collected that will tell us more.
I’m curious as to how these magnetic umbrellas and the solar winds work to strip the atmosphere. Does this stripping takes place on a schedule or randomly? Why does Mars still have any atmosphere left? How long, at estimated loss due to this ripping of the atmosphere will it take to lose what’s left? And if it should all be gone already — where is the atmosphere coming from? And most importantly of all, could it happen here? Are we just lucky that Earth has a bubble and not umbrellas? Do other planets have bubbles or umbrella? Is a bubble a criteria for life?
Inquiring minds want to know.