The surface of Mars is not a particularly welcoming environment. Numerous Mars landers have taken geological samples and other data, as well as data from the Mars rover landings and various orbiting spacecraft, providing us with information about life on the red planet’s surface. These techniques have yielded a wealth of useful information, and humans now know more about the surface of Mars than they do about any other planet.
The Martian landscape resembles that of a desert, as people who have seen images taken by spacecraft on Mars may have noticed. The planet’s surface appears to be mostly made of basalt, and it is covered in a layer of iron oxide dust. The planet’s distinctive appearance is due to this red dust. The planet is heavily pitted with craters in the Southern hemisphere, while the Northern hemisphere has more shield volcanoes and evidence of recent geological activity.
Mars’ atmosphere is extremely thin, and the planet is cold and windy. High winds can cause massive dust storms that can linger in the atmosphere for days. The surface of Mars can reach temperatures of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) in the summer and -220 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter (-140 Celsius). The planet’s inability to insulate and trap heat, as well as its low atmospheric pressure, make it difficult for water to exist in a liquid state on its surface.
The planet has an ice cap to the north that is mostly carbon dioxide ice with some trapped water. Under the surface of Mars, there appear to be significant ice deposits. This water could have been liquid on the planet’s surface at one time. Because Mars has about 38% of Earth’s gravity, Martian basketball would be a thrilling sport to watch.
On the surface of Mars, there are two notable geological features: Olympus Mons, a massive shield volcano, and the Valles Marineris, a deep valley. A number of channels and grooves run through Mars’ thick crust, indicating that liquid water once flowed there. According to data returned from Mars exploration missions, the planet is essentially in a state of stasis, with little to no geological activity. Life forms did once exist on Mars, as evidenced by traces of their presence in geological samples, and some scientists believe that simple bacteria and other organisms may still exist on the planet, possibly in the icy regions beneath its surface.