Terraformed Mars   A view on a terraformed Mars from an altitude of 13000 kilometers. Our position is longitude 100°W, latitude 20°S. The same view on today's Mars can be found here. As part of the terraformation the trajectory of some ice asteroids has been changed, to make them collide with Mars, giving the planet its single ocean. Carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen have been freed from the regolith to create a breathable atmosphere and to start a greenhouse effect, raising the average surface temperature to above the freezing point. Vegetation has begun to spread inland from the coastal areas. Because of the high altitude of the area we are looking at, a thick ice cap has formed here. Notice how Olympus Mons, Ascraeus Mons and Arsia Mons reach above the atmosphere, so that their summits are ice-free. Luckily not all of the planet is covered in ice, as can be seen in the map. This map shows the entire surface of Mars. Is all of this terraformation stuff scientifically sound? Get back to me after someone has tried the experiment and I'll tell you... The texture for the current Mars surface stems from Space-Graphics.com; so does the altitude map, used to determine which areas are covered by water, vegetation or ice. Atmosphere, clouds, water, vegetation and ice were added in POV-Ray.

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