The frozen water hiding under the surface could also thaw and fill some of those ancient basins. The thicker, warmer atmosphere could release the frozen carbon dioxide in the Martian ice caps, leading to even more temperature increases from the greenhouse effect. With the shield, that could increase by several times and allow the surface temperature to rise to an average of 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit). Currently, it has stabilized at roughly 1% the density of Earth’s atmosphere, thanks to the release of gases from internal pockets. The team found that a magnetic shield would allow Mars’ atmosphere to find a new equilibrium.
The Planetary Science Division worked with scientists from Ames Research Center, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and a number of universities to run simulations of this scenario ( PDF).
