Invertebrates and Oxygen

Terraformer · 2021-12-12 14:19:31

In order to have a functioning surface biosphere on Mars, we're going to need at least the arthropods and annelids, to break down waste matter and turn over the soils to improve them.

Fortunately, they seem to be rather tolerant to low oxygen conditions. Cold water at Earth conditions contains 10g of oxygen per cubic metre, poor in comparison to sea level air at 250g per cubic metre. Despite this, invertebrates manage to thrive under these conditions - and earthworms manage to absorb enough oxygen from mud to survive. This suggests that, perhaps with some modification, terrestrial insects could survive on the surface of a partially terraformed world that has oxygen levels far below that sufficient for terrestrial vertebrates.

Alas, the closest I could find on hypoxic tolerance in insects was a study on how it affects sizes that only went down to 120mb partial pressure. However, there is nothing saying that the dragonflies suffered for this low oxygen, so perhaps carnivorous insects will also be able to be added. That should help control the numbers...

SpaceNut · 2021-12-12 14:33:52

For mars its about creating that environment that allows for survival of all that go there. Even if its just a plastic sheet cover hung above the ground to start warming and oxygen increases under it.

Void · 2021-12-12 15:55:41

MAgreed Spacenut.
Terraformer, thanks for the 10 g / Cubic Meter and the link

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oxyg … d_841.html

I would think that this would be influenced by Henry's Law, and also the other dissolved gasses in the mixture. That is a good thing, as I would expect that for Mars, we might be dealing with a mixture that is about ~95% Oxygen???

So, a surface pressure of say a bar, with that mix, might dissolve 95 grams of Oxygen.

I will return to your original concept in a moment, but indulge me. A ice slab of say 120 feet deep, where we might melt a bottom layer of 10 feet, and have a 110 foot layer of ice and regolith, might hold about 95 grams of Oxygen per Cubic Meter, along with about 5 grams of other gasses.

Should the humans create such a situation and also feed it some "Food", (Hydrogen, CO) in limited quantities, then an ecosystem which might support some version of what you propose, and to then generate more biologically compatible soil that could be reused in gardens.

https://thecoastalside.com/how-deep-can-a-human-dive/

So, I get the notion that perhaps humans can live in 4.5 bars. If you dive 130 feet and have the sea level atmosphere above you then it is about like diving 166 feet on Earth from sea level. 166+32= (~~5.18 bars).

So, perhaps if you were in the Korolev Crater, and on the shore of the huge ice mass, you could have a chamber in a created ice covered lake that having 5 bars pressure above it might dissolve 50 grams of Oxygen per cubic Meter. That would be if you were dealing with pure Oxygen.

So, if you could do that you might store Oxygen that way, and also might have a biology based on chemosynthesis, or artificial lighting.

Such a chamber would hot have to be ice water cold, if you had insulation in it's container walls. Although cold allows more dissolved gasses, in general.

Artificial gills have been invented, that use sea water, but this containment I suggest could contain much more Oxygen than that. Add diving bells, and dry habitations, and you could breath underwater and perhaps live there, and generate good soils. But you would likely want to cut the pure Oxygen with something, and also eliminate CO2 that resulted from humans.

Guess it would be nice if it had artificial lighting, but that would not preclude chemosynthesis to support aquafarming.

------

The main thing I have for you is that a turtle was dropped to 50 mBar, but was quite lethargic. I read about that. I don't know if it was breathing Earth Air or Pure Oxygen.

Maybe this could help you just a bit with your further work on this Terraformer.

Done.

Last edited by Void (2021-12-12 16:19:56)

Void · 2021-12-12 19:14:38

Hey Terraformer, sorry about stepping on your topic. Also, I think my numbers have errors.

Done.

Terraformer · 2021-12-13 03:44:28

Void,

Are you referring to this study about turtles?. It seems they can survive it, for a while, but that's very different from being able to live in those conditions.

Worth finding out how fish do it. Though that's probably by processing far more water than animals do air; lungs < gills in that respect. How did Ariel handle hyperoxia?

Void · 2021-12-13 07:30:33

Seems all true Terraformer.

Ariel? I don't know.

Done.

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#1 2021-12-12 14:19:31

Invertebrates and Oxygen

#2 2021-12-12 14:33:52

Re: Invertebrates and Oxygen

#3 2021-12-12 15:55:41

Re: Invertebrates and Oxygen

#4 2021-12-12 19:14:38

Re: Invertebrates and Oxygen

#5 2021-12-13 03:44:28

Re: Invertebrates and Oxygen

#6 2021-12-13 07:30:33

Re: Invertebrates and Oxygen

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