Defining Tarsica
Defining Tarsica
So I did a search of my archives to try and find the original descriptive text I wrote for Tarsica back when I first created it. I hadn't realized that rather than copying the full text, Spangle had simply made a link to it. Recently the remote drive which I had kept 10+ years of micronational material archived on died and I lost pretty much everything save for some regular-access folders on my PC. Luckily I found the old Tarsican page and accompanying graphics.
Here is that original text:
Here is that original text:
Obviously, this was written before I got my degree in Environmental Science. So I'm open to modifying/improving it, but would like to keep some elements - even if they are unrealistic, they do make it more fun to explore the moon.
Tarsica Defined
Tarsica, Micras' satellite, is roughly the same size as Earth's moon, Luna. And they both share roughly the same daily orbit around their planet sister. The similarities between Luna and Tarsica end here however. Unlike Luna, Tarsica has a very thin atmosphere and a small amount of plantlife. Just enough to keep the atmosphere stable and self-replenishing. Due to Tarsica being both a satellite and having a thin atmosphere, the planet remains perpetually cold. Almost all water on the surface is frozen, and liquid water underground has to be reached by drilling. Hardy evergreen plants dominate the flora of Tarsica, its short Gorgon Pines seen bending against the harsh Tarsican winds through viewers telescopes on Micras. Other plants remain mostly scrub, clinging to rock crevices or near open water. Both the climate and atmosphere remain in a perpetual tundra.
The climate of Tarsica is attributed to it having a rich amount of water. Except for it being mostly frozen. The moon's core is only slightly volcanic, attributing to a number of underground water reservoirs. It does, however, remain to cold on the surface to keep water in its liquid form for very long. Only along Tarsica's equator can any liquid water be seen in amounts greater than a few square miles. The rest of the surface remains a rugged winter landscape, comparing to the higher altitudes of a mountain. Trees grow deep roots and may live to be hundreds of years old, yet grow no taller than a twelve or so feet. Thanks to the constant melting and re-freezing of water along the equator and in other "hot spots", Tarsica has plentiful snowfall. This has attributed to the common pet name of the "Christmas Moon".
Of fauna, Tarsica has little to none. Almost no birds are present except for small species similar to cardinals and chickadees which can survive the rigours of the cold and make their homes amid the small scrubbrush. All water on Tarsica is fresh rather than saline, attributing to most fauna clinging to the equatorial region. Of the largest species on Tarsica is the Polar Worm, an insect-like creature the size of a horse that prowls the wastes and eats grass and smaller insects. Smaller species exist, such as variants of reindeer, polar bears and other life similar to that of Micras' own Arctic. However, their numbers remain relatively small due to the low oxygen content in the atmosphere. Most animal life has adapted to this situation, such as terran mountain goats or eagles did on Micras.
A Tarsican Polar Worm
Tarsica's surface is only slightly marked by impact craters, unlike Earth's moon. These attribute to some of the landscapes features, such as Tall Pine Crater. The slight volcanic activity has helped to erase most of these marks, and scientists believe the moon was much more active volcanically less than a thousand years ago. Otherwise, the entire surface is earthen, with only the Equatorial Lakes to break up the landscape. A number of mountain ranges exist, quite a few of which are extinct volcanoes. Otherwise the land is rolling and devoid of major landscape features like Micras and Earth. Tarsica does have a large number of glaciers, most of which are situated near extinct volcanoes. Snowfall remains relatively random, with depth dependent on equatorial melting. Mountains tend to gather the most, never melting anything they accumulate. Other areas, such as the windswept flatlands or equator, only accumulate a few inches.
For humans, Tarsica is a cold and forbidding place where a man might survive in the open, but not for very long. The general appeal to would-be settlers is the minerals which Tarsica is rumoured to hold. If scientific predicitons prove accurate, Tarsica is rich in many minerals like its mother planet. In any instance of human habitation, self-sustaining habitats and life support systems would be required. Although unlike Earth's moon, the presence of a thin atmosphere, animal and plant life proves it to be much easier to sustain life there. In all, one could say the only impediment to living on Tarsica is the means of travelling between it and Micras. The last time humans landed on Tarsica was when the JASO shuttles made quick surveys there. Since then, no human has returned, and all observation has been done from the surface of Micras or via probes.
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Re: Defining Tarsica
The first half of that description is already on MicrasWiki, although I do think a rewrite is in order. It's never good when the infobox reaches further down the page than the actual article
Re: Defining Tarsica
Here is a first draft re-write of the original text. I have eliminated some of the more glaring extremes and refined the typing (fixed typos, grammar, etc). I've also elaborated on some areas that were ambiguous. While not a very comprehensive revision, it is a good start to improving the article.
I am also working on articles specifically dedicated to describing some of the flora and fauna cited in this article (polar worm and gorgon pine).
I am also working on articles specifically dedicated to describing some of the flora and fauna cited in this article (polar worm and gorgon pine).
Tarsica Defined
Tarsica, Micras' satellite, is roughly the same size as Earth's moon, Luna. And they both share roughly the same daily orbit around their planet sister. The similarities between Luna and Tarsica end here however. Unlike Luna, Tarsica has a very thin atmosphere and a small amount of plant life, just enough to keep the atmosphere stable and self-replenishing. Due to Tarsica being both a satellite and having a thin atmosphere, the planet remains perpetually cold. Almost all water on the surface is frozen, and liquid water underground has to be reached by drilling. Hardy evergreen plants are the dominant flora of Tarsica, its short Gorgon Pines seen bending against the harsh Tarsican winds through viewers telescopes on Micras. Other plants remain mostly scrub, alpine, mosses and lichens, clinging to rock crevices or near open water. The ecological habitat of Tarsica is defined as tundra-permafrost, with only the equatorial region being true tundra where surface temperatures warm enough to melt the ice.
The climate of Tarsica is attributed to it having a rich amount of water that remains frozen except in a few isolated locations. The moon's core is only slightly volcanic, contributing to a number of underground water reservoirs. It does, however, remain too cold on the surface to keep water in its liquid form for very long. Only along Tarsica's equator can any liquid water be seen in amounts greater than a few square miles. Solar heating rather than volcanic activity maintains liquefaction of the water. The rest of the surface remains a rugged winter landscape, comparing to the higher altitudes of a mountain. Trees grow deep roots and may live to be hundreds of years old, yet grow no taller than twelve or so feet. Thanks to the constant melting and re-freezing of water along the equator and in other "hot spots", Tarsica has plentiful snowfall. This has helped to disseminate the common pet name of the "Christmas Moon".
Of fauna, Tarsica has little to none. The dominant species are insects, which can withstand the extremes of the environment. Almost no birds are present except for small species similar to cardinals and chickadees, which can survive the rigors of the cold and make their homes amid the small scrub brush. All water on Tarsica is fresh rather than saline, attributing to most fauna clinging to the equatorial region. Of the largest species on Tarsica is the Polar Worm, an insect-like creature the size of a horse that prowls the wastes and eats grass and smaller insects. Higher orders of animal life have not developed both due to the extremes of the environment and because of the thin oxygen content in the atmosphere. Left unchanged, insects will continue to dominate the fauna of Tarsica indefinitely.
Topographically, Tarsica's surface is only slightly marked by impact craters, unlike Earth's moon. These attribute to some of the landscapes features, such as Tall Pine Crater. The slight volcanic activity has helped to erase most of these marks, and scientists believe the moon was much more active volcanically less than a million years ago. Otherwise, the entire surface is earthen, with only the Equatorial Lakes to break up the landscape. Very little soil sediment exists, as there has not been significant plant and animal life to form the layers of detritus that would establish a soil structure. Instead, the soil structure is sand-like and dusty, composed of wind and water worn stones. A number of mountain ranges exist, quite a few of which are extinct volcanoes. Otherwise the land is rolling and devoid of major landscape features, being predominantly wide-open plains, rocky fields, or mountains. Tarsica does have a large number of glaciers, most of which are situated near extinct volcanoes. Snowfall remains relatively random, with depth dependent on equatorial melting. Mountains tend to gather the most, never melting anything they accumulate. Other areas, such as the windswept flatlands or equator, only accumulate a few inches.
For humans, Tarsica is a cold and forbidding place where a man might survive in the open, but not for very long. Oxygen levels are too thin to sustain human life, although a person can withstand several hours of exposure before reaching critical levels (akin to altitude sickness). The general appeal to would-be settlers is the minerals that Tarsica is rumored to hold. If scientific predictions prove accurate, Tarsica is rich in many minerals like its mother planet. In any instance of human habitation, self-sustaining habitats and life support systems would be required. Although unlike Earth's moon, the presence of a thin atmosphere, animal and plant life proves it to be much easier to sustain life there.
Re: Defining Tarsica
And first draft article on Polar Worms.
Polar Worms (Myriapoda giganta)
Satellite probes sent to obtain pictures of the surface of Tarsica first discovered the Polar Worm. This was before any surface probes had been developed and before any landing had been made on the moon; thus the pictures proved poor but nonetheless shocking. What appeared to be a worm (due to its burrowing habit) was in actuality a type of giant centipede. This difference was not discerned until physical studies of the insects had been made – but by that point the name “worm” had been in use for nearly a century. The polar worm is unique in that it is a giant centipede that thrives in the cold temperatures of Tarsica. Typically, giant centipedes are confined to tropical regions. Thanks in part to an extremely thick chitinous armoring, under which another thick layer of fat exists; the polar worm can withstand the freezing cold weather. Polar worms scour the surface of Tarsica for smaller insects, and are thus classified as carnivores (they have not been known to attack humans). The largest recorded specimen reached a length of eight feet (2.44 meters) and a diameter of two feet (0.6 meters), making it the largest animal on the moon.
The polar worms inhabit the warmest region of the moon, around the equatorial lakes where they can access unfrozen water and feed on the abundant insect life. Their ecological niche has been described as keeping in check populations of smaller insects, feeding on the weak and sick and improving population vitality. Entomologists have described the species as a “primal relic”, citing that the centipede is similar to long-extinct insects. One unique habit of the polar worm is that while in motion the centipede can upright its front half. While it does not continually do this, it will upright itself when attacking or in other displays of dominance (for mating, when scared, etc). A centipede may also upright itself when it needs to use its front mandibles to dig burrows.
Initial accounts of the polar worm described a burrowing habit in which the centipedes dig their own tunnels into the sandy soil. This led to the initial misclassification of the centipede as a worm. Indeed, it is not uncommon for centipedes to burrow through loose soil under rocks and other protected places to lay eggs and establish nests. Much of the remaining ecology of the polar worm is not that different from other centipedes; mating habits, reproductive cycles, moulting, and so forth remain relatively the same.
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Re: Defining Tarsica
The descriptions are very good! I've moved the thread to 'Standardisation of the Atos System' to keep 'standardisation things' in one folder, although I feel this thread should be later moved to 'Standardisation of Micras' when the discussion is over and the articles are moved to MicrasWiki.
Pavel' Abramovic:, the President of Interland
IRL just a random guy from Poland. Still learning English.
IRL just a random guy from Poland. Still learning English.
Re: Defining Tarsica
Finished an article for Gorgon pines...
Gorgon Pine (Pinus gorgonis)
The Gorgon Pine is an evergreen coniferous tree and the dominant tree of Tarsican flora, and closely resembles Scots Pines (Pinus sylvestris). Due to the thin oxygen of the Tarsican atmosphere, the Gorgon Pine only reaches a mature height of some thirty feet (9 meters), and this only under the most favorable of conditions. In most cases the trees remain much smaller, stunted and gnarled, which gives rise to their name from the mythological gorgons of Greek literature. The trees dominate the flora of Tarsica, with lesser trees and scrub brush dwindling in size down to lichens and mosses. Gorgon pines were first spotted by telescope, as viewers could easily make out the long stands of green surrounding the Equatorial Lakes. Thus they are commonly cited as the first evidence of life on Micras’ moon – even before probes or people could visit.
The range of the Gorgon pine is limited to equatorial regions where water remains unfrozen and thus accessible through the soil. From the equator their range extends outward around other lakes and where underground aquifers remain unfrozen; although the latter is limited since geothermal warming is low. Despite having a limited range, their lifespan can be exceptionally long, with some specimens identified as being nearly 700 years old.
A Gorgon pine is easily indentified by its thick, scaly bark, a dark grey-brown, on the lower trunk, and flaky orange bark on the upper trunk. The shoots are light brown, with a spirally arranged scale-like pattern. On mature trees the leaves ('needles') are a glaucous blue-green, often darker green to dark yellow-green in winter, 2.5–5 cm long and 1–2 mm broad, produced in fascicles of two with a persistent grey 5–10 mm basal sheath; on vigorous young trees the leaves can be twice as long, and occasionally occur in fascicles of three or four on the tips of strong shoots. The seed cones are red at pollination, then pale brown, globose and 4–8 mm diameter in their first year, expanding to full size in their second year, pointed ovoid-conic, green, then grey-green to yellow-brown at maturity, 3-7.5 cm in length. The cone scales have a flat to pyramidal apophysis, with a small prickle on the umbo. The seeds are blackish, 3–5 mm long with a pale brown 12–20 mm wing; they are released when the cones open in spring 22–24 months after pollination. The pollen cones are yellow, occasionally pink, 8–12 mm long; pollen release is in mid to late spring.
Little human use of the Gorgon pine has been seen yet. There has been a general consensus among most exploratory nations that due to the limited range and number of the species present on Tarsica, harvesting should be limited and the trees protected. Although no international agreement has as yet mandated their protection, no harvesting has yet occurred. Tar, pulp and timber are the most likely uses of the wood, but the practical application of these uses on Tarsica is extremely limited. It has been suggested that the seeds could be germinated on Micras to establish new stands for propagative purposes, but concern over the species becoming invasive has halted any importation of the plant for the immediate future.
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Re: Defining Tarsica
Think you could photoshop that to make it look more like it's on the moon?Orion wrote:
Re: Defining Tarsica
Awesome! This explains a great deal more why it's been seemingly far easier for smaller nations (no offense, but if a moon landing was anywhere near as technologically and economically demanding as it was in the '60s for the US and probe landings still inordinately expensive for anyone other than the most powerful nations even on earth, then it stands to reason that the New Empire and Nova England would probably not have been realistically the first on Tarsica and to colonise it if it was anywhere as deadly as Luna - this also implies that the journey may be easier for some reason?) to have landed there. I would suggest that we port all of these excellent articles over to Micraswiki (I'll do that if anyone wants), but we have to leave some details patchy, and explictly state that some of the points in the article are conjecture, or aren't fully confirmed, so as to leave the possibility for future science missions to answer fundamental questions and return interesting data.
Re: Defining Tarsica
I don't have photoshop, so if you feel like making a go at it, then go for it.joefoxon wrote:Think you could photoshop that to make it look more like it's on the moon?
Aye, it certainly makes developing equipment easier since the oxygenation factor can be severely modified. I wouldn't say it's any easier to get there, but landing and exploring definitely would be. I've only described one type of flora, and one type of fauna, specifically so that others can write their own findings. Although the intent is that my descriptions will provide a basic guideline for future writers.Aster wrote:Awesome! This explains a great deal more why it's been seemingly far easier for smaller nations (no offense, but if a moon landing was anywhere near as technologically and economically demanding as it was in the '60s for the US and probe landings still inordinately expensive for anyone other than the most powerful nations even on earth, then it stands to reason that the New Empire and Nova England would probably not have been realistically the first on Tarsica and to colonise it if it was anywhere as deadly as Luna - this also implies that the journey may be easier for some reason?) to have landed there. I would suggest that we port all of these excellent articles over to Micraswiki (I'll do that if anyone wants), but we have to leave some details patchy, and explictly state that some of the points in the article are conjecture, or aren't fully confirmed, so as to leave the possibility for future science missions to answer fundamental questions and return interesting data.
And feel free to copy this to MicrasWiki.
Re: Defining Tarsica
I would imagine that getting there would be easier on the basis of the accessability of the technology for many countries - not only are there modern micronational launch vehicles and satellite designs floating around, but people can just scrape them up from 'Urth' and base their indigenous designs on those.
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Re: Defining Tarsica
I could draw on a really shit moon in Paint?Orion wrote:I don't have photoshop, so if you feel like making a go at it, then go for it.joefoxon wrote:Think you could photoshop that to make it look more like it's on the moon?