The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars

by Simon Morden

Overview

Uncover the mysteries, wonders, and history of Mars—as close to an eye-witness perspective of the incredible Red Planet as any reader can get.

The history of Mars is drawn not just on its surface, but also down into its broken bedrock and up into its frigid air. Most of all, it stretches back into deep time, where the trackways of the past have been obliterated and there is no discernible trace of where they started from or how they travelled, only where they ended up.

From the planet’s formation 4.5 billion years ago, through eras that featured cataclysmic meteor strikes, explosive volcanoes and a vast ocean that spanned the entire upper hemisphere, to the long, frozen ages that saw its atmosphere steadily thinning and leaking away into space, planetary geologist Dr. Simon Morden presents a tantalizing vision of our nearest neighbour, its dramatic history, and astonishing present.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639361755
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	07/05/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	285,343
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dr. Simon Morden trained as a planetary geologist and geophysicist, realized he was never going to get into space, so decided to write about it instead. His award-winning writing career blends narrative science, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. He is a past winner of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award for his Metrozone series of novels set in post-apocalyptic London. He lives in England.

Table of Contents

Enter, Stage Left ix

Part 1 Explaining Mars

Dawn on Mars 3

Mars as an Unreliable Narrator 9

Why Is Mars So Different? 11

Mapping Mars 15

Part 2 Before the Beginning

The Giant Molecular Cloud 23

Accretion 27

Planetary Embryos 31

Part 3 Early Mars

Mars at the Start 39

Planetary Melting 43

Crater Formation 47

Crater Counting 49

Martian Meteorites 55

The Great Dichotomy 59

The Great Dichotomy Convection Theory 63

The Great Dichotomy Impact Theory 69

Phobos and Deimos 73

The Early Martian Atmosphere 77

Part 4 The Noachian

Sailing on an Endless Sea 83

The Hellas Impact 87

The Start of the Noachian 93

Obliquity and Eccentricity 97

Introducing Tharsis 101

We Need to Talk about Water 105

The Northern Ocean 109

Life 113

Tharsis Rises 119

Lake Eridania 121

Part 5 The Hesperian

The Hesperian Climate Change 127

The Beginning of the Cryosphere 131

Valles and Chaoses 135

Here Are Giants 139

Valles Marineris 143

Olympus Mons 149

Elysium 155

The Medusae Fossae Formation 159

True Polar Wander 165

The Ice Caps 171

Part 6 The Amazon Ian

A World of Ice 177

Into the Amazonian 181

The Amazonian Climate 185

Equatorial Ice 189

High Latitude Ice 195

The Polar Regions 199

The Dust Cycle 203

Amazonian Volcanism 207

Part 7 The Future

What Can We Make of Mars? 213

We Are the Martians 221

Acknowledgements 225

Bibliography 227

Index 237

Editorial Reviews

"The book is as captivating as any sci-fi novel, and it’s reliable and enthralling in its descriptions of Mars’ geology and history...Morden expertly sets the reader to imagining. All told, The Red Planet reads like a vastly entertaining Michelin’s written by a guide who knows so much about science that he can explain anything to anyone."

Rebecca Coffey

"As befits a work about a planet named after the God of War, this is a book of titanic clashing elements, stupendous impacts, cataclysmic eruptions, devastating forces, planet-wrenching seisms. Real heavy metal. You’ll never look at that red dot in the sky the same way again."

Ian McDonald

The writing is noticeably more stylish than normally found in popular science books. An engaging and well-researched book."

The Fortean Times

Advance praise for The Red Planet

From the Publisher

"The writing is a triumph, and the descriptions make you think that you’re on Mars already. A stunning vision of what it would be like to walk upon Mars or to navigate its dried up seas and rivers."

Bookmunch

"Vividly describes the current thinking on the natural forces and huge upheavals that shaped the planet over 4.5 billion years. Morden’s writings bring the subject to life. An excellent read. Highly recommended to those interested in knowing more about the fascinating natural history of our near-neighbour Mars.

Popular Astronomy

06/01/2022

Hailing from a small English village without streetlights, planetary geologist Morden had a clear view of the night sky. He was most inspired by Mars, and his love for the red planet is evident throughout this work. Beginning with a compelling portrayal of the planet's surface, he describes the landscape, temperature, light, color of the sky, and dusty soil of the ground. In subsequent chapters, he presents the natural history of Mars beginning with its gradual emergence from part of a massive molecular cloud more than 4.5 billion years ago. He also explains the forces that shaped the planet over time, including gravity, its moons, meteor strikes, volcanoes, and ice. Concluding, he considers the future of the planet and the necessary steps for human habitation. Morden acknowledges uncertainty in the Mars story; astrologers are not entirely sure how it developed. Scientific theories are often wrong and need to be corrected. This uncertainty does not discourage him from sharing everything he can about Mars in a readable, entertaining way. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about Mars. It will also appeal to those with an interest in the solar system and/or geology.—Dave Pugl

Library Journal

"The Red Planet, a geological and historical survey of our solar system neighbor, reads like a compelling travel guide. Simon Morden, an award-winning science-fiction writer with a doctorate in geophysics, embraces both these backgrounds with gusto...this is space writing at its finest, laying out extraterrestrial mysteries and convincing us to care."

Scientific American Maddie Bender

"Morden's writing style is friendly and accessible, and his excitement for the subject shines through. It's impressive how much information he packs into a narrative that flows so easily. The Red Planet is an excellent overview and an easy recommendation for space buffs, geologists, or anyone with a general interest in science."

Booklist

"Full of intrigue, like a beautifully narrated adventure detective story that left a satisfying thirst of wanting to know more."

Professor Lucy Rogers

"Written with a poet’s flourish, this is your comprehensive guide to humanity’s future home.

Colin Stuart

"Morden's writing style is friendly and accessible, and his excitement for the subject shines through. It's impressive how much information he packs into a narrative that flows so easily. The Red Planet is an excellent overview and an easy recommendation for space buffs, geologists, or anyone with a general interest in science."

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