Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Planetary Ecosynthesis

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

  • 106 Accesses

Synonyms

Ecopoesis; Terraforming

Keywords

Biospheres, global ecology, life, Mars, terraforming

Definition

Planetary Ecosynthesis: The purposeful alteration of another planetary environment so as to improve the chances of survival of an indigenous biology or, in the absence of any native life-forms, to allow for habitation of most, if not all, terrestrial life-forms.

History

Terraforming, was first used as a word in a science fiction short story in 1942 by Jack Williamson. The first scientific discussion was a suggestion by Carl Sagan, as part of a paper in Science, to remove the thick carbon dioxide atmosphere of Venus by seeding the planet with algae. The seminal suggestion to use super greenhouse gases to warm Mars was made by Lovelock and Allaby (1984) in their science fiction book The Greening of Mars. The first technical paper dealing entirely with terraforming was in Naturein 1991 by Chris McKay, Brian Toon, and James Kasting, entitled “Making Mars Habitable”. The first...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 749.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References and Further Reading

  • Averner MM, MacElroy RD (1976) On the habitability of Mars: an approach to planetary ecosynthesis. NASA SP-414

    Google Scholar 

  • Fogg MJ (1995) Terraforming: engineering planetary environments. SAE International, Warrendale

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovelock J, Allaby M (1984) The greening of Mars. St. Martin’s Press and Warner Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Marinova MM, McKay CP, Hashimoto H (2005) Radiative-convective model of warming Mars with artificial greenhouse gases. J Geophys Res 110:E03002, doi:10.1029/2004JE002306

    Google Scholar 

  • McKay CP (2009) Planetary ecosynthesis on Mars: restoration ecology and environmental ethics. In: Bertka C (ed) Exploring the origin, extent, and future of life: philosophical, ethical, and theological perspectives. Cambridge Astrobiology, New york, pp 245–260

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McKay CP, Haynes RH (1990) Should we implant life on Mars? Sci Am 263(6):144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKay CP, Toon OB, Kasting JF (1991) Making Mars habitable. Nature 352:489–496

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA

    Christopher P. McKay

Authors
  1. Christopher P. McKay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher P. McKay .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Astrophysicist, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, BP 89, 33270, Floirac, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Departamento de Planetología y Habitabilidad Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Campus Cantoblanco, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  3. Department of Astrophysics, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC) Ctra de Ajalvir km 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW, Washington, DC, 20015, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  5. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Lederle Graduate Research, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003-9305, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. GEOTOP & Départment des Sciences de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Daniele L. Pinti

  7. Astrobiology, CNES/DSP/EU, 2 place Maurice-Quentin, 75039, Paris, France

    Michel Viso

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

McKay, C.P. (2011). Planetary Ecosynthesis. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1569

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation