Question

A runaway refrigerator effect may have driven Mars' atmosphere to its present state. Please select the order in which these events would have occurred, from earliest to latest.

1) Formation of Mars' atmosphere
2) Runaway refrigerator effect
3) Present state of Mars' atmosphere
4) None of the above

Answer 1

The order of events leading to Mars' current atmospheric state starts with its atmosphere formation, followed by the runaway refrigerator effect, concluding with its present condition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The order of events that led to the current state of Mars' atmosphere would begin with the formation of Mars' atmosphere, followed by the occurrence of the runaway refrigerator effect, which led to the present state of Mars' atmosphere. This process involved Mars losing much of its early atmosphere as it became colder, causing most of the water to freeze out of the atmosphere and further reducing its ability to retain heat. This loss of atmosphere likely took place within less than a billion years after Mars formed, resulting in the cold, dry planet we observe today.