marsworldbuilding

[marsworldbuilding]

Terraformed Mars

So here is the first post centered on a new project that I recently began to explore in more detail, centered on something perhaps very on-brand: my blog’s very namesake!

In the far future, a unified Earth begins the process of terraforming Mars, beginning with the introduction of ammonia and Earth bacteria to heat up the planet and introduce higher levels of oxygen. The intent is to develop the atmosphere and begin the process of a water cycle existing on the formerly parched planet. Water from Earth is also introduced, along with flora and eventually some fauna to turn the harsh Martian landscape into a natural, Earth-like expanse. The toxic soil is undone by anaerobic bacteria, further developed by the introduction of pioneer plants like lichens and orchids. In the end, the planet becomes almost a mirror of Earth, albeit smaller.

Above is a map of the Köppen Climate Classification of the post-terraforming Mars, with sizable mountains marked in dark grey. There are several notable geographical features to point to. The immense desert, here marked with bright red and dull pink, is a result of the rain shadows of the immense mountain ranges coupled with the increasing aridity as you go further inland and wind patterns drawing water away from the coasts. Most of the moisture, and thusly the fertile land, is centered on two large lobes, known to astronomers as Terra Sabaea (in the east) and the Tempe Terra (in the West). Water and wind is drawn down along the coasts of these two landmasses, creating an extremely humid monsoon region on the southern coasts between two tropical savannah regions with tropical rainforests at their centers. 

The inland regions are provided with much of their moisture by the two large inland seas, although they are truly just large lakes, because the terraformers, when crafting Mars into a habitable world, made the decision to fill the bodies of water with exclusively freshwater. While over time, salt and other minerals in the rocks of Mars would leach into the water, this is kept at bay artificially. However, this artificial de-salinization is impossible to maintain if there was any break from the society established on the colonized world.

And that very idea is the core of this project: how would human (and some immigrant alien) societies evolve on a Mars forced by human hands to have an Earth-like climate? In order to explore this question, the futuristic society of terraformed colonized Mars will be catastrophically undone, with the new societies and cultures developing in the millennia afterwards being the focus of the project. Stay tuned, for an examination of the pre-catastrophe society of Mars!

[marsworldbuilding]

Hey all! I’ve been worldbuilding for as long as I’ve been writing and drawing, and I just thought it would be a good thing to show some of my worldbuilding projects and inspiration over here! Expect a lot of delving into anthropology, religion, history, and politics in fantastical worlds! Will be posting more soon, more specifically with the beginnings of a project I just started recently!