<p>The surface area of Mars is 144798500 km<sup>2</sup></p>

<p>The land area of Earth is 148940000 km<sup>2</sup> (figures from wikipedia)</p>

<p>Thus, the land area of Earth is slightly (about 3%) larger than the land area of Mars. However much of the Earth's surface is suitable for human habitation, but none of Mars is suitable for humans.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-24T18:00:06.023Z
Only about 15% of Earth's total surface area or 50% of it's land area is suitable for human habitation. If the entirety of mars was covered with domes then 100% of it's land would be usable. Twice as much habitable land as Earth without geoforming.
Vladimir Silver
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-24T21:44:33.920Z
Currently 0% or 0km² or Mars is suitable for human habitation.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-25T16:11:28.053Z
Obviously that's why I said if the entirety was covered in domes. If. Not is.
Vladimir Silver
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-25T16:37:45.797Z
That's apples and oranges.  If you are "covering mars with domes" you can cover the Earth with domes.  *If* we are considering the area suitable for human habitation under a dome, then you need to consider domes on Earth as well as on Mars. Moreover, if you say that you can't put a dome on a mountain slope, 
 then you can't put a dome on a mountain slope on mars either, so you can't have 100% of the land covered with domes.@VladimirSilver
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-25T18:06:55.853Z
I stated a fact. I don't care if you have a problem with it. The fact is that mars fully paraterraformed would have double Earth's habitable area today. That shows that paraterraforming mars is a worthwhile effort. It has all the water and atmosphere needed if pressurized under domes. I'm not arguing that mars is better then earth.
Vladimir Silver
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-19T00:35:52.977Z
2019-02-19T00:35:52.977Z
James K
<p>How does Mars surface compare to Earth's surface? Mars is quite smaller than Earth, but most Earth's surface is covered with water. I thought making the math could be relatively easy but Earth isnt a sphere and I dont know about Mars? </p>

<p>What's the proportion of Mars' surface compared to Earth's surface uncovered of water?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-17T20:25:58.093Z
Earth's diameter is about 25 miles greater at it's equator than pole to pole, or 1 part in 400.   That works out to a variation of 1 part in about 200 by surface area, so you can use spherical math and not be off by much.  Like Earth, Mars is an oblate spheroid with a slightly larger equatorial bulge (higher ratio of angular momentum to gravity I would think or something).   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_bulge    If you want higher accuracy, you can use Oblate Spheroid surface area formulas.   https://www.vcalc.com/wiki/vCalc/Oblate+Spheroid+-+surface+area
userLTK
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-17T20:37:41.010Z
Relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/1389/
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-17T23:57:59.670Z
@mistertribs I think so. Dont you want to answer?  It's interesting (at least to me) to notice the surfarce of Mars is about the same as the land surfarce of Earth so colonizing Mars would add "another Earth" of potential lands (though I guess you cant set a base anywhere on Mars)
Pablo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-18T18:55:15.860Z
@Pablo,  mistertribs is pointing out that it's a trivial calculation & you might enjoy doing it yourself.
Carl Witthoft
<earth><mars>
What's the proportion of Mars' surface compared to Earth's surface uncovered of water?
Pablo
# What's the proportion of Mars' surface compared to Earth's surface uncovered of water?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-02-17)

How does Mars surface compare to Earth's surface? Mars is quite smaller than Earth, but most Earth's surface is covered with water. I thought making the math could be relatively easy but Earth isnt a sphere and I dont know about Mars?

What's the proportion of Mars' surface compared to Earth's surface uncovered of water?

**Tags:** earth, mars

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Earth's diameter is about 25 miles greater at it's equator than pole to pole, or 1 part in 400.   That works out to a variation of 1 part in about 200 by surface area, so you can use spherical math and not be off by much.  Like Earth, Mars is an oblate spheroid with a slightly larger equatorial bulge (higher ratio of angular momentum to gravity I would think or something).   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_bulge    If you want higher accuracy, you can use Oblate Spheroid surface area formulas.   https://www.vcalc.com/wiki/vCalc/Oblate+Spheroid+-+surface+area  
> **username_2**: Relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/1389/  
> **username_0**: @mistertribs I think so. Dont you want to answer?  It's interesting (at least to me) to notice the surfarce of Mars is about the same as the land surfarce of Earth so colonizing Mars would add "another Earth" of potential lands (though I guess you cant set a base anywhere on Mars)  
> **username_3**: @username_0,  mistertribs is pointing out that it's a trivial calculation & you might enjoy doing it yourself.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-02-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The surface area of Mars is 144798500 km2

The land area of Earth is 148940000 km2 (figures from wikipedia)

Thus, the land area of Earth is slightly (about 3%) larger than the land area of Mars. However much of the Earth's surface is suitable for human habitation, but none of Mars is suitable for humans.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Only about 15% of Earth's total surface area or 50% of it's land area is suitable for human habitation. If the entirety of mars was covered with domes then 100% of it's land would be usable. Twice as much habitable land as Earth without geoforming.  
> **username_2**: Currently 0% or 0km² or Mars is suitable for human habitation.  
> **username_4**: Obviously that's why I said if the entirety was covered in domes. If. Not is.  
> **username_2**: That's apples and oranges.  If you are "covering mars with domes" you can cover the Earth with domes.  *If* we are considering the area suitable for human habitation under a dome, then you need to consider domes on Earth as well as on Mars. Moreover, if you say that you can't put a dome on a mountain slope,   then you can't put a dome on a mountain slope on mars either, so you can't have 100% of the land covered with domes.@VladimirSilver  
> **username_4**: I stated a fact. I don't care if you have a problem with it. The fact is that mars fully paraterraformed would have double Earth's habitable area today. That shows that paraterraforming mars is a worthwhile effort. It has all the water and atmosphere needed if pressurized under domes. I'm not arguing that mars is better then earth.  

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