Humans have long dreamt of living on other planets, but last time we checked they weren’t too keen on setting up permanent residence on the red dusty plains of Mars or even on a Moon mountain. The climate on those two celestial bodies isn’t exactly inviting – but there are plenty of people who dream of changing that. Terraforming is the theoretical process of modifying a planet to make it more Earth-like, and these two fascinating maps from data scientist Seth Kadish show what it could look like on Mars and the Moon.
Kadish shows us what the ‘continents’ and oceans would look like on each respective world if they were flooded with water. If you’ve ever thought about crossing the Sea of Tranquility, now you know its size and shape.
Kadish chose to raise and lower the sea level on each map, showing the change 1 kilometer of water depth would make on land and sea areas (Theoretically humans would be making the water, so why not choose how much?).
Interestingly, Kadish’s maps do reveal one aspect of the Martian and Lunar climates. The Moon is covered with ancient craters from millions of asteroid hits, and with no forces to erase them, they have stayed the same for eons. Mars, on the other hand, is relatively smooth. A growing body of evidence suggests that water may still flow on its surface during the warmest months, and its thin, mainly carbon dioxide atmosphere has seasonal winds that reach speeds of nearly 400kph (250 mph). Slowly, the climate of Mars is sweeping away the history of the many objects that have hit its surface.
See more of the story behind Seth Kadish’s great maps on his personal website or his submission to Reddit.