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9. Although the high surface temperatures on Venus are partly attributable to its closer proximity to the sun, a primary reason is the strong greenhouse effect induced by a dense atmosphere almost entirely made up of carbon dioxide.
In contrast, Mars is cold because it is farther from the sun than earth and has a very thin atmosphere. Despite the high CO2 concentration, the net greenhouse effect is much weaker than for earth.
Reference:
IPCC 1990. Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment [Houghton,J.T. et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. pg. Xxxvii
Images: NASA Although the high surface temperatures on Venus are partly attributable to its closer proximity to the sun, a primary reason is the strong greenhouse effect induced by a dense atmosphere almost entirely made up of carbon dioxide.
In contrast, Mars is cold because it is farther from the sun than earth and has a very thin atmosphere. Despite the high CO2 concentration, the net greenhouse effect is much weaker than for earth.
Reference:
IPCC 1990. Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment [Houghton,J.T. et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. pg. Xxxvii
Images: NASA