QUOTE (StargazeInWonder @ Mar 3 2023, 06:31 PM)
One thing to keep in mind is that the temperature on Mars varies substantially as a function of extremely minor differences in altitude.
Actually, this is not especially important on Mars, in the sense that in a thin atmosphere the surface temperature is largely determined by radiative balance (thus, solar elevation and surface albedo). To a first order these effects, and thus on the large scale, latitude/season/timeofday, is the principal determinant of temperature.
Contrariwise, in a thick atmosphere, where convection dominates, it is the elevation (and hence the surface pressure) that controls temperature - qv Venus is almost isothermal vs latitude and time of day
It is an interesting coincidence that these effects are almost in balance at Earth, such that the mountains let you access polar temperatures, in a way.