第2290期:Scientists Propose Idea to Warm Mars

The idea of turning Mars into a livable world for humans is a common element of science fiction. But could such an action be done in real life? 

将火星变成人类可以居住的世界的想法是科幻小说中的常见元素。但这样的行动在现实生活中能实现吗？ 

Scientists are now proposing a new method to warm up Earth's planetary neighbor. The idea involves putting engineered particles made of iron or aluminum into the atmosphere. The goal is to trap escaping heat and direct sunlight toward the Martian surface. 

科学家们现在提出了一种新的方法来加热地球的邻居星球火星。这个想法涉及将由铁或铝制成的工程颗粒放入大气层中。目标是捕获逸散的热量，并将阳光直接引向火星表面。 

The proposed idea would be to increase the natural greenhouse effect on Mars and raise its surface temperature by around 28 degrees Celsius over ten years. 

这一提议的想法是增加火星的自然温室效应，并在十年内将其表面温度提高约28摄氏度。 

Such a change alone would not make Mars livable for people. But the scientists who developed the idea see it as a possible first step. 

这种变化本身并不会让火星适合人类居住。但提出这一想法的科学家将其视为可能的第一步。 

Edwin Kite of the University of Chicago helped lead the study that appeared recently in the publication Science Advances. 

芝加哥大学的埃德温·凯特帮助领导了最近发表在《科学进展》上的这项研究。 

Kite described the process of terraforming – meaning to change a planet’s environment to be more like Earth. "For Mars, warming the planet is a necessary, but insufficient, first step. Previous concepts have focused on releasing greenhouse gases, but these require large amounts of resources that are scarce on Mars," he said.

凯特描述了地球化的过程——即改变一个行星的环境，使其更像地球。“对于火星来说，温暖这个星球是必要的，但还不够。之前的概念集中在释放温室气体上，但这些需要大量在火星上稀缺的资源，”他说。 

Kite added that climate modeling suggests the new idea of using engineered particles to warm Mars’ atmosphere could work better than previous ideas. Kite explained that the work is important because it presents a possible method that could help future exploration plans.

凯特补充说，气候建模表明，使用工程颗粒加热火星大气的新想法可能比以前的想法更有效。凯特解释说，这项工作很重要，因为它提出了一种可能有助于未来探索计划的方法。 

NASA has sent robotic vehicles to explore the Martian surface and the InSight Lander to study the planet's interior. The U.S. space agency's Artemis program aims to put astronauts in the coming years on the moon’s surface for the first time since 1972 in preparation for possible future human missions to Mars. 

美国国家航空航天局已派出机器人探测车探索火星表面，并派出洞察号着陆器研究该星球的内部。美国航天局的阿尔忒弥斯计划旨在未来几年将宇航员送上月球表面，这是自1972年以来的首次，以为未来可能的火星人类任务做准备。 

There are several barriers to human settlements on Mars. They include a lack of breathable oxygen, harmful ultraviolet radiation, salty soil, and dust storms that sometimes cover much of the planet. And Mars’ cold temperatures are a serious issue. 在火星上建立人类定居点面临一些障碍。它们包括缺乏可呼吸的氧气、有害的紫外线辐射、盐碱土壤以及有时覆盖大部分行星的沙尘暴。而且火星的寒冷温度也是一个严重问题。 

The median Martian surface temperature is about minus-65 degrees Celsius. With its thin atmosphere, solar heat on the Martian surface easily escapes into space. The proposal would aim to permit liquid water to exist on the surface of Mars, which has water in the form of ice at its polar areas and its subsurface. 

火星表面的中位温度约为零下65摄氏度。由于火星的大气层较薄，火星表面的太阳热量很容易逃逸到太空中。该提议旨在允许液态水存在于火星表面，火星的极地地区和地下都有以冰形式存在的水。 

The scientists proposed continuously releasing tiny particles, called nanorods, into the atmosphere at a rate of about 30 liters per second for years. 

科学家们建议在几年内以每秒约30升的速度不断向大气中释放微小颗粒，称为纳米棒。

Samaneh Ansari of Northwestern University in Illinois is the study’s lead writer. Ansari said, "The idea is to either ship the material or better yet, ship the manufacturing tool and make the nanorods on the planet since iron and aluminum are abundant on the surface of Mars.” 

伊利诺伊州西北大学的萨玛内·安萨里是这项研究的主要作者。安萨里说：“这个想法是要么运输材料，要么更好的是运输制造工具，在火星上制造纳米棒，因为火星表面富含铁和铝。” 

The researchers are mindful of the possibility of unintended consequences in terraforming another world. Scientists, for instance, are eager to learn whether Mars has held life in the past - or perhaps currently, in the form of subsurface microbes. 

研究人员意识到在地球化另一个星球时可能会产生意想不到的后果。例如，科学家们渴望了解火星是否曾经拥有生命——或者现在以地下微生物的形式存在。 

Kite suggested that the costs and benefits of releasing nanorods are uncertain. For example, he said if Mars’ soil has compounds that are harmful to life from Earth, then the benefit of warming Mars is zero.

 凯特表示，释放纳米棒的成本和收益尚不确定。例如，他说，如果火星的土壤中含有对地球生命有害的化合物，那么温暖火星的益处为零。