Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline.Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline.
Mars’ climate varies due to completely different reasons than Earth’s, and available data indicates no temperature trends comparable to Earth’s recent warming.
Mars lacking oceans or a robust atmosphere means its climate is highly susceptible to external factors. In the longer term, its non-circular orbit causes heating when passing closer to the sun and cooling when further away. In the short term, weather patterns like dust storms impact how much solar heat reaches Mars.
Mars warming would imply that the sun is causing generally rising planetary temperatures. However, total solar heat has decreased since the 1980s. Moreover, analyses of the available 50 years of Mars data found seasonal variability, but no warming trend.
Meanwhile, Earth has warmed 1.5°C (2.7°F) since the 1880s due to the greenhouse effects of human-made CO2. Our best understanding of available Mars data indicates no warming nor mechanisms comparable to Earth’s recent climate change.
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This fact brief is responsive to quotes such as the one highlighted here.
Sources
New Scientist Climate myths: Mars and Pluto are warming too
Nature Global warming and climate forcing by recent albedo changes on Mars
American Geophysical Union Some Coolness on Martian Global Warming and Reflections on the Role of Surface Dust
SPACE.com Mars' atmosphere: Facts about composition and climate
NASA Graphic: Temperature vs Solar Activity
Solar System Research Seasonal Variation of Martian Surface Temperature over Gale Crater and Surroundings
NASA Global Temperature
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact — a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all of our published fact briefs here.
Posted by Sue Bin Park on Saturday, 5 April, 2025
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