[u][i][b]Please Read Before Voting[/b][/i][/u] We know how to live on, terraform, and take use of Mars' resources already; it seems like our future beyond Earth is bright, but there is one thing stopping us from colonizing Mars...Mars' lack of a magnetic field. Without a magnetic field, we would be exposed to high doses of solar and cosmic radiation that can be fatal to humans. There are a couple questions that need to be answered in order to know if we can live on Mars or not: •Why doesn't Mars have a magnetic field (magnetosphere)? •Can we we overcome this obstacle, then build colonies and eventually civilizations on Mars? Before we can answer these questions, we need to know what a planet needs in order to have a magnetic field and if Mars meets these requirements: [b][u]A Liquid Conducting (Metallic) Interior[/u][/b] [i]The actual state of Mars' core is not certain. But studies show that Mars' core is fairly molten. Not as molten as Earth's, because Mars' mass is 1/10th of that of Earth. So because of that, Mars loses its heat overtime faster than Earth.[/i] [b][u]Rapid Rotation[/u][/b] [i]Earth's rotation speed is 1,040 mph (1673.718 km/m) and a diameter of 7,917.5 mi (12,742 km). Mars has a rotation speed of 539 mph (868.22 km/h) and a diameter of 4,212 mi (6,794 km). That equates to a 24.6 hour long days on the Martian surface. So Mars checks out in this category.[/i] [b][u]Tectonic Plates[/u][/b] [i]For many years, it has been believed that Mars doesn't have any tectonic plates, but recently a scientist named An Yin, a UCLA professor, [url=http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-scientist-discovers-plate-237303]discovered plate tectonics on Mars[/url]. This discovery aids in the study of Mars' magnetosphere. So that is a plus for Mars.[/i] As we can see, Mars should have a magnetic field, but it doesn't. So why doesn't Mars have a magnetic field? Let's look at a couple theories concerning this. [u][b]How Mars Lost Its Magnetic Field[/b][/u] [i]There are two leading theories on why Mars doesn't have a magnetic field: 1) Mars' core solidified to a point where its magnetic field shut down. But just as I stated in #1 of the list of requirements for a planet to have a magnetic field, Mars' mass is 1/10th of that of Earth, so it will cool down much faster compared to Earth. So Mars' core could have solidified, but again we aren't certain on the state of Mars' core. 2) Multiple asteroid impacts shut down Mars' magnetic field. The motions of liquid metals in the core are due to convection – lots of heavy radioactive isotopes are decaying in the core, keeping it warmer than the outer pars of the planet. Hot metal rises to transfer heat from the hot core to the warm mantle. The second theory says that the heat generated by large asteroid impacts during the heavy bombardment period (which is when magnetism shut off in Mars) was enough to warm the outer layer of the planet and shut down convection.[/i] [u][b]State Of Mars' Magnetic Field[/b][/u] [i]Mars doesn't have a global magnetic field, but there are sections on Mars that are magnetized (refer to the image above). These magnetized areas are rocks that are remnants of when Mars had a magnetic field about 4 billion years ago. It is unknown whether or not these sections can protect astronauts from radiation. On Earth, you will receive 2.4 millisievert (mSv) of radiation per year. On the Martian surface, you will receive 244.55 millisieverts of radiation per year without protection. That is 100 times higher than what you receive on Earth, but it is still 10 times less than what astronauts are exposed to in low-earth orbit. We even had astronauts in orbit for a year.[/i] [b]So we know how to protect ourselves from the radiation level on Mars and this radiation protecting technology will only get better as the decades pass. It seems highly likely that we will one day build colonies to stay on Mars for many years to come. But can we develop the technology to protect whole cities and countries from this radiating threat it the distant future? Can we one day dominate Mars? That is up to you to answer.[/b] [i]Spyro out[/i]