Texas A&M University
Department of Oceanography
At
the dawn of the Hadean Eon, the sun's luminosity was about 70
percent of its current output, but the temperature on Earth and
Mars was much higher than temperatures today. The explanation
behind this paradox is that the planets' atmospheres were dominated
by the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide-making the planets warmer.
As the levels of temperature and CO2 dropped, they
had a profound influence on the chemistry of Earth and Mars'
oceans.
http://oceanography.tamu.edu/Quarterdeck/1999/1/morse_geotemp.html
© Copyright 1999, Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University.
Send Quarterdeck inquiries to quarterdeck@ocean.tamu.edu.
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