Earth and Mars – Seasonal

Temperature and Solar Flux

Variations
By Kassandra Gurule
Objective:
Develop an algorithm in Jupyter to show the effects of planetary temperature variations due to the
solar heat flux, planetary composition, and distance from the host star. This will include a base
model of Earth’s temperature and seasonal variations. I will use this information to summarize and
compare Earth to Mars to see the differences between living on Earth to Mars. An overview of
Earth, including the solar heat flux, radiation levels, and water cycle will conclude the importance of
planetary health and why Earth is habitable. The temperature differences with Earth due to polar
ice cap melting will also be compared.

I will then compare the radiation and temperature variations the astronauts will experience on
Mars. This will include how the upcoming Mars missions and future space exploration will affect
astronauts and differences in planetary habitation. To accomplish this, I will use Jupyter Notebook
to develop and compare a base model of Earth’s seasonal temperature variations and solar
radiation flux to a model of Mars. I will then the effects of radiation exposure, temperature and
seasonal variations, and the comparison of habitation on Earth and Mars.
Why Earth is Habitable?

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Seasonal Variations on Earth

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 • If the Polar Ice Caps completely melt, Earth’s
overall average temperature will increase by
about 5˚ Kelvin within the next century, and the
Green House Effect will strengthen
• When the Polar Ice Caps melt, the water level will
rise

Importance of
• The average global sea level will rise about
70 meters
• The Polar Ice Caps are mostly fresh water

Polar Ice Caps - • 68.7% of all fresh water on Earth exists in the
Polar Ice Caps

Environmental
• This will dilute the salt content in the oceans
and affect currents
• Earth’s albedo will decrease, absorbing more

Health of Earth incoming solar radiation and further heating the

surface and increasing the Greenhouse Effect and
Global Warming
• There will be no ice sheet to reflect the
incoming solar radiation
• When the water level raises, less land mass
will be visible to absorb the Sun’s radiation
• The solar heat flux will increase
What is the Green House Effect

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The Green House Effect and Global
Warming Increase from Solar Heat Flux

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Base Model of Earth with Polar Ice Caps
The below graph shows the average surface temperature of Earth over a 100-year period with Polar Ice Caps.
The average temperature ranges from 288 Kelvin at high latitudes to about 300 Kelvin at the Equator.
Base Model of Earth with No Polar Ice Caps
The below graph shows the average surface temperature of Earth over a 100-year period with no Polar
Ice Caps. The average temperature increased, where the equator is now at an average of 305 Kelvin.
Temperature Variations on Earth – Polar
Ice Caps vs No Polar Ice Caps
Temperature vs Latitude – With Temperature vs Latitude – With
Polar Ice Caps No Polar Ice Caps
 Mars Comparison to Earth – Similarities
and Differences
Similarities Differences
• Axis tilt is similar • Very little/thin atmosphere on Mars
• Earth = 23.5˚ • No magnetic field or thick atmosphere
• Mars = 25.1˚ protect humans from harmful incoming solar
radiation
• Orbit around host star (Sun) in the Habitable
Zone • No Water Cycle and
• Length of Day is similar (about 24 hours) • Different abondance of elements
• Both Terrestrial Planets • No Tectonic Plates on Mars
• Both Contain Silicate and Basalt rock on • Large temperature fluctuations from day to
surfaces night
• Although Earth’s solar flux is greater than the
solar flux of Mars, the Magnetic Field and
Atmosphere protect humans from harmful
incoming Solar Radiation
 • NASA believes that radiation exposure is
the number one issue for humans to live on
Mars
Mars • Living on Mars increases the solar radiation
exposure to humans
Comparison to • Radiation exposure to humans is elevated

Earth - Solar
due the small amount of atmosphere and no
Magnetic Field on Mars

Radiation and
• This allows for an increased risk of health
issues and cancer

Heat Flux
• Astronauts must wear special spacesuits
to avoid prolonged radiation exposure if

Differences
living on Mars
• Mars has a lower average temperature
than Earth and can reach temperatures
of 200 Kelvin
 Solar Radiation Variations on Earth
Compared to Mars
Graph of Earth’s Average Solar Graph of the Average Solar
Radiation vs Latitude Radiation vs Latitude on Mars
Solar Radiation by
Latitude on Mars
• The Southern latitudes show an increase in Solar Radiation,
resulting in a warmer summer
• The Southern Polar Ice Cap is nearly completely melted
from the increase of solar radiation on the Southern
Hemisphere
• The Northern latitudes show a decrease in Solar Radiation,
which corresponds to the cooler summer in the Northern
Hemisphere
• The Northern Polar Ice Cap is a lasting feature on Mars due
to the Solar Radiation variations of the surface
• Seasonal and Solar Radiation variations are due to:
• Axis Tilt of 25.1˚
• Very Thin Atmosphere
• No Magnetic Field
 Mars Comparison to Earth - Average
Surface Temperature
Earth’s average temperature ranges Mars’s average temperature ranges
from 273 Kelvin to 300 Kelvin from 200 Kelvin to 300 Kelvin
 • https://seec.gsfc.nasa.gov/what_makes_a_planet_habitable.ht
ml

• https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/#:~:text=The%20Shor
t%20Answer%3A,winter%20in%20the%20Northern%20Hemisp
here.

• https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Milankovitch/milan
kovitch_2.php#:~:text=Today%2C%20the%20Earth's%20axis%
20is,know%20them%20can%20become%20exaggerated

• https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-
school/science/ice-snow-and-glaciers-and-water-cycle?qt-
science_center_objects=0#

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/rising-

References:
seas-ice-melt-new-shoreline-maps

• https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-would-sea-level-change-if-all-
glaciers-melted?qt-news_science_products=0#

• https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/19/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect/

• https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/229
25/0000491.pdf?sequence=1

• https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/229
25/0000491.pdf?sequence=1

• https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html

• https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Greenhouse_effect