View source for Environmental conditions

[[Image:126609main_image_feature_400a_ys_full.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The dry and cold surface]]
The '''Environmental conditions''' on [[Mars]] are different from those of [[Earth]]. [[Human]] beings can not live there without technical systems. Unless successful [[terraforming]] can be performed, Martian settlers are bound to artificial [[habitat]]s.

==Temperature==
The temperatures on the Martian surface is much lower than on Earth. 

*Average atmosphere temperature: -63 °C
*Diurnal temperature range: -89 °C to -31 °C ([[Viking]] 1 Lander site)
*Minimum: −125 °C near the poles in winter
*Maximum:   20 °C near the equator

==Atmosphere pressure==
The Martian [[atmosphere]] has one hundreth of Earth's atmospheric density and seven thousandths of Earth's atmospheric pressure.  The pressure varies considerably from day to day, from season to season, and from place to place on Mars.  For practical purposes when designing pressure vessels to maintain life supporting conditions on Mars it is sufficient to estimate the Martian atmospheric pressure as zero.

==Wind speed (Viking Lander sites)==
*Summer: 2-7 m/s 
*Fall: 5-10 m/s 
*[[Dust storms]]: 17-30 m/s
*[[Dust devils]]: ?

==Open issues==
* Is there a potential threat from dust devils?

==External Links==
*[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html Nasa: Mars Fact Sheet]
*[http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/mars_worldbook.html Nasa: World Book]
*[http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/air_pressure/index.html Nasa: Atmospheric Pressure]

[[Category:Atmospheric Sciences]]