THE SURFACE OF MARS The surface of Mars would be a harsh place
for humans, but it is more like the surface of Earth than any
other planet. The temperature on Mars does not get much cooler
than the temperature at Antarctica. At the surface it ranges
from about -225° F to 60° F. During most of the year wind speeds
are fairly low-about 4.5 mph-but during dust storms they can
approach 40 to 50 mph. These winds often originate in large
basins in the Southern Hemisphere and carry large volumes of
dust from the basins to other regions, sometimes covering the
entire planet in the storm. The dust is not sandy, as in a
sandstorm on the earth, but has the consistency of flour. The
northern and southern hemispheres of Mars have different
characteristics. The Southern Hemisphere has many impact craters
and has a generally much higher elevation than the Northern
Hemisphere. The southern highlands are probably the oldest
terrain on Mars. The northern hemisphere of Mars contains a much
wider variety of geologic features, inc