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arminVT t1_it1o5ue wrote

Reply to comment by Pluto_and_Charon in Curiosity Mars Rover Reaches Long-Awaited Salty Region by Pluto_and_Charon

Hi

What is the current scientific point of view on the composition of early martian atmosphere

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Pluto_and_Charon OP t1_it2wty0 wrote

Excellent question! This is one of the biggest debates in Mars science - we really don't know to be honest! All we know is that the atmosphere must have been far thicker than today and must have contained a lot of greenhouse gases to explain how a planet much further than the sun was able to sustain liquid water on its surface without it freezing.

Candidates include: CO2 NH3 CH4 SO2 H2O

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