QUESTION:
On Earth we call our particular mixture of gasses "air". Technically, is the
same term appropriate for Mars? Is there a more appropriate term for it?

ANSWER from Bob Haberle on September 10, 1997:
According to Webster's dictionary the definition of air is "The invisible
mixture of gases surrounding the earth". So strictly speaking, the Martian
atmosphere cannot be called "air". As best I can tell, there is no
equivalent to the term "air" for Mars. Why don't you see if you can find out
how the term "air" originated? Then we might be able to deduce an equivalent
for Mars.