Atmosphere of Mars - Other Sources of Information

Mars has a very thin atmosphere composed mostly of the tiny amount of remaining carbon dioxide (95.3%) plus nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.6%) and traces of oxygen (0.15%) and water (0.03%). The average pressure on the surface of Mars is only about 7 millibars (less than 1% of Earth's), but it varies greatly with altitude from almost 9 millibars in the deepest basins to about 1 millibar at the top of Olympus Mons. But it is thick enough to support very strong winds and vast dust storms that on occasion engulf the entire planet for months. Mars' thin atmosphere produces a greenhouse effect but it is only enough to raise the surface temperature by 5 degrees (K); much less than what we see on Venus and Earth.

Other Sources of Information McKay et al. Science Article - Summary of the article that started it all Images of Mars - from the NSSDC Catalog of Spaceborne Imaging Images of Mars - from the NSSDC Photo Gallery NASA Press Release on the Discovery Mars Fact Sheet NSSDC Mars Home Page Life on Mars Press Briefing on 19 March 1997 - NASA Press Release (97-03-14) AAAS Symposium on Mars life and sample return mission - NASA Press Release (98-02-09)
Possible Source Craters for Mars Meteorite Found - Press Release - 12 August 1996 Summary Page on the Mars Meteorite - Including images of ALH84001 Mars Meteorite Compendium - Johnson Space Center News and scientific papers on the Mars Meteorite - Lunar and Planetary Institute Photos of the meteorite - The electron microscopy which led to the discovery SNC Meteorites - General information on meteorites from Mars American Association for the Advancement of Science - News Release CNN On-Line Information -

Special section on the discovery