Mars, like planet Earth, is a complex and vast world with a long history. The authors of this book give a new insight of Mars by adopting an original outline based on history rather than on subtopic (atmosphere, surface, interior). They focus on the past and present evolution of Mars and also incorporate all the recent results from the space missions of Mars Express, Spirit and Opportunity.
This book goes to the heart of current planetological research, and illustrates it with many beautiful images. The authors describe the magnificent scenery on Mars including Olympus Mons, more than 20,000 metres high and the solar system's biggest volcano. At Mars' poles, glaciers, formed from thousands of fine strata, are evidence of past climatic fluctuations. Drs Forget and Costard and Professor Lognonné introduce a new world and reveal the workings of the planet Mars. They answer the questions: How was Mars formed? Why has its evolution followed a different path to that of Earth? What do its river beds, volcanoes and glaciers tell us about its past? Could life have existed there? Does it exist there now? What processes 'drive' Mars today?
The five parts of the book trace the history of Mars. Part 1 examines its formation from the ashes of dead stars, more than 4·5 billion years ago. Part 2 travels through its early and turbulent youth and gradual, 3·5-billion-year long metamorphosis. Part 3 traces the creation of great planetary structures while Part 4 explores this active planet as it is today, with its dust storms, water features and atmosphere, and shows that Mars is subject to continual climatic change. Finally in Part 5, the story of the recent exploration of Mars and current research in laboratories and space agencies in preparation for the missions of the next twenty years is recounted. TOC:Welcome to Mars.- Introduction.- Martian landscapes.- Chronology of Mars.- Part 1: Birth of a planet 4·6 to 3·8 billion years.- Part 2: A youthful Mars 4 to 3·5 billion years.- Part 3: The slow metamorphosis 3·8 to 0·1 billion years.- Part 4: Climates and tempests - Mars today.- Part 5: Exploring Mars - 1650-2050.- Epilogue.- Index.

Inhalt

Welcome to Mars.- Welcome to Mars.- Martian landscapes.- Martian landscapes.- Chronology of Mars.- Chronology of Mars.- Birth of a planet.- Before Mars and the other planets.- Very rapid protoplanetary growth.- Formation of the core, crust and mantle.- The evolution of Mars, the Earth, Venus and Mercury.- What Martian meteorites tell us.- The origin of atmospheres and water.- Meteoritic bombardment.- The enigma of the 'north-south dissymmetry'.- The primordial dynamo and magnetic field.- The moons of Mars: captured asteroids?.- A youthful Mars.- Rivers on Mars!.- The source of Mars' rivers.- The mystery of the lakes.- Traces of water.- A history of many chapters.- In search of a lost ocean.- The mystery of Mars' past climate.- The theory of life on Mars.- Hunting for fossils.- A unique witness, 4 billion years old.- The end of an oasis: Mars loses its atmosphere.- Life on Mars today.- The slow metamorphosis.- A sub-surface motor: convection in the mantle.- Giant volcanoes on Mars.- Olympus Mons: the solar system's biggest volcano.- Lava flows and lava plains.- Ridges and cracks on the surface.- Valles Marineris: the valley of wonders.- A permanently frozen subsurface.- The mystery of the chaotic terrains.- Outflow channels.- A drive around the mouth of Ares Vallis.- A second Siberia.- Climates and storms.- Seasons and temperatures.- The atmosphere of Mars.- Martian winds.- Martian meteorology.- Dunes, ergs and erosion: footprints of the winds.- The dust cycle: ever-orange skies.- The dust cycle: planet of storms.- The dust cycle: whirlwinds of dust.- The dust cycle: global storms.- The water cycle: vapour, frost and ice - water on Mars.- The water cycle: clouds and fogs.- The CO2 cycle: seasonal polar caps.- The CO2 cycle: an atmosphere which solidifies.-The CO2 cycle: the vagaries of carbon dioxide ice.- The CO2 cycle: the residual southern polar cap.- Climate change: when Mars rocks on its axis.- Climate change: ancient glaciers on Mars.- Climate change: surface ice at high latitudes.- Climate change: intermittent water flows.- Climate change: polar sediments, evidence of past climates.- Exploring Mars.- Telescopic voyages.- First visitors: the Mariner probes.- Soviet setbacks.- Viking.- A difficult exploration.- New American initiatives.- Spirit and Opportunity: wheels on Mars.- Europe joins in: Mars Express.- The future of European Mars exploration.- Imagination serves exploration.- The Grail: returning samples.- Astronauts on Mars.