Well, the mass of Earth is 5.98 x 10^24 kg and out ATM is designated as 1.
Venus is 4.87 x 10^24 kg..... both smaller and less dense than Earth, yet it's ATM is 90 times our.
Mars mass is 6.42 x 10²³ kg.... smaller by a whole order of magnitude, yet the ATM is only 1% of Earth's.
Obviously, atmospheric density is not a function of mass or gravity. And it's also obvious that Mars once had an atmosphere due to the presence of water erosion paterns on it's surface. So what happened to Mars' atmosphere? Why did it erode away?
And why is Venus' atmosphre so thick compared to ours when it is smaller and less dense?
2006-08-04
12:01:06
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9 answers
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asked by
hyperhealer3
4
in
Astronomy & Space