Atmospheric Processing Technology
Atmospheric Processing Technology is a field of engineering concerned with the deliberate alteration of a planet's atmosphere. This can be done for a variety of reasons, including terraforming, climate control, and resource extraction.
Principles
Atmospheric processing typically involves the release of specific chemical agents into the atmosphere, or the use of large-scale energy sources to alter its composition. The specific methods used depend on the desired outcome.
Applications
- Terraforming: The most ambitious application of atmospheric processing, terraforming aims to make a planet more habitable for a specific species.
- Climate Control: On a smaller scale, atmospheric processing can be used to control a planet's climate, for example by reducing the severity of storms or creating more favorable agricultural conditions.
- Resource Extraction: Certain valuable resources may be present in a planet's atmosphere, and atmospheric processing can be used to extract them.