How deep a valley or trench would be needed on Mars to provide the same atmospheric pressure as 6 km above...

Atmospheric pressure increases the deeper you go & the highest growing plants on Earth have been found at a height of 6 km so how deep a trench would we need on Mars to provide similar air pressure?
World’s highest plants discovered growing 6km above sea level

edited Dec 2 at 10:14

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

There's basically no O2 in the Martian atmosphere so no matter how deep you dig your trench, you still won't get an Earthlike atmosphere.
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:33

1

That would be a different question, I'm only asking about air pressure in this instance.
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 1:35

Then you need to edit your question and make that clear. You just say "conditions".
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:36

2

Edited to clarify. Both of you play nice.
– Russell Borogove
Dec 2 at 1:43

1

Since the OP is interested in growing plants, he does not need the air pressure. He needs the CO2 partial pressure. One would have to calculate the CO2 partial pressure at 6000m altitude on Earth, and find the equivalent partial pressure depth on Mars.
– dotancohen
Dec 2 at 12:04

|
show 8 more comments

edited Dec 2 at 10:14

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

There's basically no O2 in the Martian atmosphere so no matter how deep you dig your trench, you still won't get an Earthlike atmosphere.
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:33

1

That would be a different question, I'm only asking about air pressure in this instance.
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 1:35

Then you need to edit your question and make that clear. You just say "conditions".
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:36

2

Edited to clarify. Both of you play nice.
– Russell Borogove
Dec 2 at 1:43

1

Since the OP is interested in growing plants, he does not need the air pressure. He needs the CO2 partial pressure. One would have to calculate the CO2 partial pressure at 6000m altitude on Earth, and find the equivalent partial pressure depth on Mars.
– dotancohen
Dec 2 at 12:04

|
show 8 more comments

edited Dec 2 at 10:14

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

mars colonization atmosphere terraforming plants

edited Dec 2 at 10:14

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

edited Dec 2 at 10:14

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

edited Dec 2 at 10:14

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

asked Dec 2 at 1:14

Pelinore

2248

There's basically no O2 in the Martian atmosphere so no matter how deep you dig your trench, you still won't get an Earthlike atmosphere.
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:33

1

That would be a different question, I'm only asking about air pressure in this instance.
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 1:35

Then you need to edit your question and make that clear. You just say "conditions".
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:36

2

Edited to clarify. Both of you play nice.
– Russell Borogove
Dec 2 at 1:43

1

Since the OP is interested in growing plants, he does not need the air pressure. He needs the CO2 partial pressure. One would have to calculate the CO2 partial pressure at 6000m altitude on Earth, and find the equivalent partial pressure depth on Mars.
– dotancohen
Dec 2 at 12:04

|
show 8 more comments

There's basically no O2 in the Martian atmosphere so no matter how deep you dig your trench, you still won't get an Earthlike atmosphere.
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:33

1

That would be a different question, I'm only asking about air pressure in this instance.
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 1:35

Then you need to edit your question and make that clear. You just say "conditions".
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:36

2

Edited to clarify. Both of you play nice.
– Russell Borogove
Dec 2 at 1:43

1

Since the OP is interested in growing plants, he does not need the air pressure. He needs the CO2 partial pressure. One would have to calculate the CO2 partial pressure at 6000m altitude on Earth, and find the equivalent partial pressure depth on Mars.
– dotancohen
Dec 2 at 12:04

There's basically no O2 in the Martian atmosphere so no matter how deep you dig your trench, you still won't get an Earthlike atmosphere.
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:33

That would be a different question, I'm only asking about air pressure in this instance.
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 1:35

Then you need to edit your question and make that clear. You just say "conditions".
– Organic Marble
Dec 2 at 1:36

Edited to clarify. Both of you play nice.
– Russell Borogove
Dec 2 at 1:43

Since the OP is interested in growing plants, he does not need the air pressure. He needs the CO2 partial pressure. One would have to calculate the CO2 partial pressure at 6000m altitude on Earth, and find the equivalent partial pressure depth on Mars.
– dotancohen
Dec 2 at 12:04

|
show 8 more comments

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

Mars' atmosphere scale height is, depending on who you ask, 10.8 to 11.1 km.

Pressure at the bottom of Hellas Planitia: 1.16 kPa

Earth sea level: 101.3 kPa

Earth 6km altitude: ~50 kPa.

So we need air pressure to increase by a factor of about 43; ln 43 = 3.76 scale heights -- so we need a trench about 41km deep. Start digging!

This gets equivalent air pressure, but there's almost no oxygen. Partial pressure of CO₂ on the other hand is about 2400 times higher -- Mars's surface level atmosphere offers more CO₂ than Earth as it is.

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

"Start digging!" got my shovel, just waiting on my ticket from SpaceX :)
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 2:08

1

And note that at this depth your trench almost certainly collapses in on itself, the rock can't take the load.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 3:16

2

@LorenPechtel that depends on how steep the sides are, it has little to do with the depth.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:44

1

This answers the question asked! At 1.16kPa water boils at around 8C, at 50kPa, it boils at around 83C. Note that humans can tolerate pressures down to 6kPa (for periods short enough to avoid asphyxia) before their eyeballs and lungs are damaged by water boiling. That said, article cited by the OP states that the problem for plants at 6km altitude is not the pressure but rather "drought and frost." These are still going to be problems in a 40km deep trench on Mars.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:53

@LevelRiverSt No, that trench is getting down to the point where the rocks will flow under the pressure. How steep the sides are has nothing to do with that.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 21:33

|
show 7 more comments

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1 Answer
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active

oldest

votes

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

Mars' atmosphere scale height is, depending on who you ask, 10.8 to 11.1 km.

Pressure at the bottom of Hellas Planitia: 1.16 kPa

Earth sea level: 101.3 kPa

Earth 6km altitude: ~50 kPa.

So we need air pressure to increase by a factor of about 43; ln 43 = 3.76 scale heights -- so we need a trench about 41km deep. Start digging!

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

"Start digging!" got my shovel, just waiting on my ticket from SpaceX :)
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 2:08

1

And note that at this depth your trench almost certainly collapses in on itself, the rock can't take the load.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 3:16

2

@LorenPechtel that depends on how steep the sides are, it has little to do with the depth.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:44

1

This answers the question asked! At 1.16kPa water boils at around 8C, at 50kPa, it boils at around 83C. Note that humans can tolerate pressures down to 6kPa (for periods short enough to avoid asphyxia) before their eyeballs and lungs are damaged by water boiling. That said, article cited by the OP states that the problem for plants at 6km altitude is not the pressure but rather "drought and frost." These are still going to be problems in a 40km deep trench on Mars.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:53

@LevelRiverSt No, that trench is getting down to the point where the rocks will flow under the pressure. How steep the sides are has nothing to do with that.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 21:33

|
show 7 more comments

Mars' atmosphere scale height is, depending on who you ask, 10.8 to 11.1 km.

Pressure at the bottom of Hellas Planitia: 1.16 kPa

Earth sea level: 101.3 kPa

Earth 6km altitude: ~50 kPa.

So we need air pressure to increase by a factor of about 43; ln 43 = 3.76 scale heights -- so we need a trench about 41km deep. Start digging!

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

"Start digging!" got my shovel, just waiting on my ticket from SpaceX :)
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 2:08

1

And note that at this depth your trench almost certainly collapses in on itself, the rock can't take the load.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 3:16

2

@LorenPechtel that depends on how steep the sides are, it has little to do with the depth.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:44

1

This answers the question asked! At 1.16kPa water boils at around 8C, at 50kPa, it boils at around 83C. Note that humans can tolerate pressures down to 6kPa (for periods short enough to avoid asphyxia) before their eyeballs and lungs are damaged by water boiling. That said, article cited by the OP states that the problem for plants at 6km altitude is not the pressure but rather "drought and frost." These are still going to be problems in a 40km deep trench on Mars.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:53

@LevelRiverSt No, that trench is getting down to the point where the rocks will flow under the pressure. How steep the sides are has nothing to do with that.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 21:33

|
show 7 more comments

Mars' atmosphere scale height is, depending on who you ask, 10.8 to 11.1 km.

Pressure at the bottom of Hellas Planitia: 1.16 kPa

Earth sea level: 101.3 kPa

Earth 6km altitude: ~50 kPa.

So we need air pressure to increase by a factor of about 43; ln 43 = 3.76 scale heights -- so we need a trench about 41km deep. Start digging!

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

Mars' atmosphere scale height is, depending on who you ask, 10.8 to 11.1 km.

Pressure at the bottom of Hellas Planitia: 1.16 kPa

Earth sea level: 101.3 kPa

Earth 6km altitude: ~50 kPa.

So we need air pressure to increase by a factor of about 43; ln 43 = 3.76 scale heights -- so we need a trench about 41km deep. Start digging!

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

answered Dec 2 at 1:46

Russell Borogove

82.5k2276358

"Start digging!" got my shovel, just waiting on my ticket from SpaceX :)
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 2:08

1

And note that at this depth your trench almost certainly collapses in on itself, the rock can't take the load.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 3:16

2

@LorenPechtel that depends on how steep the sides are, it has little to do with the depth.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:44

1

This answers the question asked! At 1.16kPa water boils at around 8C, at 50kPa, it boils at around 83C. Note that humans can tolerate pressures down to 6kPa (for periods short enough to avoid asphyxia) before their eyeballs and lungs are damaged by water boiling. That said, article cited by the OP states that the problem for plants at 6km altitude is not the pressure but rather "drought and frost." These are still going to be problems in a 40km deep trench on Mars.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:53

@LevelRiverSt No, that trench is getting down to the point where the rocks will flow under the pressure. How steep the sides are has nothing to do with that.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 21:33

|
show 7 more comments

"Start digging!" got my shovel, just waiting on my ticket from SpaceX :)
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 2:08

1

And note that at this depth your trench almost certainly collapses in on itself, the rock can't take the load.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 3:16

2

@LorenPechtel that depends on how steep the sides are, it has little to do with the depth.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:44

1

This answers the question asked! At 1.16kPa water boils at around 8C, at 50kPa, it boils at around 83C. Note that humans can tolerate pressures down to 6kPa (for periods short enough to avoid asphyxia) before their eyeballs and lungs are damaged by water boiling. That said, article cited by the OP states that the problem for plants at 6km altitude is not the pressure but rather "drought and frost." These are still going to be problems in a 40km deep trench on Mars.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:53

@LevelRiverSt No, that trench is getting down to the point where the rocks will flow under the pressure. How steep the sides are has nothing to do with that.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 21:33

"Start digging!" got my shovel, just waiting on my ticket from SpaceX :)
– Pelinore
Dec 2 at 2:08

And note that at this depth your trench almost certainly collapses in on itself, the rock can't take the load.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 3:16

@LorenPechtel that depends on how steep the sides are, it has little to do with the depth.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:44

This answers the question asked! At 1.16kPa water boils at around 8C, at 50kPa, it boils at around 83C. Note that humans can tolerate pressures down to 6kPa (for periods short enough to avoid asphyxia) before their eyeballs and lungs are damaged by water boiling. That said, article cited by the OP states that the problem for plants at 6km altitude is not the pressure but rather "drought and frost." These are still going to be problems in a 40km deep trench on Mars.
– Level River St
Dec 2 at 8:53

@LevelRiverSt No, that trench is getting down to the point where the rocks will flow under the pressure. How steep the sides are has nothing to do with that.
– Loren Pechtel
Dec 2 at 21:33

|
show 7 more comments

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