What If Mars Was Half Land and Half Water?

Mars has not always had its current appearance. It is possible that in the past, Mars had extensive oceans covering its surface. But what if we could bring all the water back to Mars and transform it into a planet that is half land and half water? How would Mars look if it were divided in such a way, and where could we find enough water to fill Martian oceans? Additionally, why would we consider resorting to nuclear methods to achieve this? This is a "what if" scenario, exploring the consequences of Mars being half land and half water.

In the past, Mars might have had a massive ocean, with rivers, streams, and lakes spread throughout the planet. It is speculated that billions of years ago, Earth and Mars had similar climates, although the Martian ocean covered only 20 percent of the planet compared to Earth's 71 percent, and the surface temperature was slightly cooler. However, Mars underwent significant changes over time, transitioning from a warm, wet world to the cold and dry planet we know today. Currently, only 18 percent of its original ocean remains, trapped in frozen polar ice caps.

To turn Mars into a planet with half land and half water, a substantial amount of water would need to be added. However, transporting enough water from Earth's oceans would not be feasible or desirable. Earth's oceans should remain where they are due to their ecological significance. Moreover, finding water elsewhere in the solar system, such as on Saturn's moon Enceladus or Jupiter's moon Europa, presents its own challenges, including the difficulties of transporting massive amounts of ice through space.

An alternative proposal involves using nuclear detonations to release frozen carbon dioxide on Mars. This would cause a rise in temperatures and thaw out the poles, effectively increasing the amount of water on the planet. However, implementing such a plan would require detonating an enormous number of nuclear bombs, potentially thousands each day, which is logistically and environmentally unfeasible. Furthermore, even with this method, a significant amount of additional water would still be needed to cover half of Mars with oceans.

A more realistic approach would be to recreate the conditions during the late bombardment period, around 4 billion years ago, when asteroids colliding with Mars generated enough water to form a 300-meter-deep ocean. To replicate this event, redirecting a million comets and meteors towards Mars would be necessary. As these objects crash into Mars, they would release water vapor, gradually increasing the water content on the planet. However, the new water would primarily settle above Mars's equator, forming new landmasses and continents. Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, would rise prominently from the new Northern ocean.

Unfortunately, the low atmospheric pressure on Mars would cause the water to boil away easily. On Mars, water would start boiling at zero degrees Celsius, unlike Earth's boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius. Therefore, to sustain water on Mars, it would be crucial to trap enough heat in the Martian atmosphere, potentially through water vapor acting as a greenhouse gas. If successful, Mars could transform into a lush, terraformed world. However, achieving such a result would require further technological advancements and remain purely speculative.

Transforming Mars into a planet that is half land and half water is a complex and challenging endeavor. While it may be tempting to envision a water-filled Mars, the practical and environmental obstacles make it an unlikely scenario. Mars's unique characteristics and the limitations of our current knowledge and capabilities suggest that efforts should be directed towards understanding the planet and exploring other feasible avenues for space exploration and colonization. If you're lucky enough, you'd be the only human living along in the red planet. What would it be like for you to live there on your own, well that would be for another story.