84.6k views
2 votes
2- Cite Evidence. What natural resources does Mars have? Use evidence from the text to explain how settlers could use the natural resources of Mars to build a colony. in "Martian Metropolis"



User AdelNick
by
8.4k points

2 Answers

4 votes

Final answer:

Mars offers water ice, minerals, and an atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide that could sustain human colonization. These resources would support life support systems, agriculture, and construction, reducing the need for Earth supplies. The Mars Odyssey spacecraft and examination of Martian meteorites have provided evidence for these resources.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mars possesses a variety of natural resources that could be utilized by humans to establish a colony. The planet's regolith, or surface soil, contains vital materials such as iron, titanium, nickel, aluminum, sulfur, and chlorine, all of which could be used in construction and manufacturing. Evidence from previous Mars missions, like the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, has detected large amounts of water ice in the polar caps and beneath the planet's surface, implying that water can be extracted and used for drinking, cultivation, and potentially for splitting into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen could be used for life support whereas the hydrogen could be a fuel source.

Martian atmosphere, although mostly carbon dioxide, could be utilized to produce oxygen through a process called electrolysis. Using martian soil and atmospheric resources could minimize the amount required to be transported from Earth, reducing costs and increasing the feasibility of a sustainable presence on Mars. The atmosphere of Mars could also be used to harvest carbon for various manufacturing processes.

Additionally, due to its previous volcanic activity, indicated by the presence of large extinct volcanoes, Mars likely has subsurface deposits of various mineral resources that settlers could mine. Information gained from meteorites from Mars provides evidence about its crust composition which may help identify more resources like phosphates, which are essential for growing food. Colonists could use these raw materials to construct habitats, produce essential consumables, and develop technology required for living on another planet.

User Karl Ivar Dahl
by
8.4k points
3 votes

Final answer:

Mars has several natural resources that settlers could use to build a colony, including water, the thin atmosphere, and Martian soil.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the text, Mars has several natural resources that settlers could use to build a colony. One of the most important resources is water, which has been detected in the form of ice on Mars. Settlers could extract and purify this ice to use for drinking water, growing plants, and producing oxygen.

Another resource on Mars is the thin atmosphere, which consists mainly of carbon dioxide. Settlers could potentially extract and separate the carbon dioxide to create breathable air and use it for fuel.

Additionally, the Martian soil, known as regolith, contains minerals and nutrients that could be used for agriculture. Settlers could cultivate crops in controlled environments using hydroponics or other advanced farming techniques.

User Steel Plume
by
7.5k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.