Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere
Abstract Recent findings of NO near Gale Crater on Mars have been explained by two pathways: formation of nitric acid (HNO3) in a warm climate or formation of peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2) in a cool climate. Here, we put forth two hitherto unexplored pathways: (a) deposition of nitric/peroxynitric acid...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111063 |
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| author | Danica Adams Armin Kleinböhl King‐Fai Li Franklin P. Mills Run‐Lie Shia Robin Wordsworth Yuk L. Yung |
| author_facet | Danica Adams Armin Kleinböhl King‐Fai Li Franklin P. Mills Run‐Lie Shia Robin Wordsworth Yuk L. Yung |
| author_sort | Danica Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recent findings of NO near Gale Crater on Mars have been explained by two pathways: formation of nitric acid (HNO3) in a warm climate or formation of peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2) in a cool climate. Here, we put forth two hitherto unexplored pathways: (a) deposition of nitric/peroxynitric acid onto ice particles in a cold atmosphere, which settle quickly onto Mars' surface and (b) solar energetic particle‐induced production of nitric/peroxynitric acid. The deposition rates are enhanced and NO production is more efficient under the higher atmospheric pressures typical of Mars' ancient atmosphere. Depending on the unknown rate at which nitric/peroxynitric acid is lost from the surface, the new pathways could result in larger NO‐levels than those detected by the Mars Science Laboratory. We predict a 2:1 ratio of nitrite:nitrate would have deposited in cool surface climates with an icy atmosphere, whereas orders of magnitude more nitrate than nitrite is expected from warm surface climates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d05f85d867a0455586f8aed77da731b2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-d05f85d867a0455586f8aed77da731b22025-08-20T03:02:07ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-11-015121n/an/a10.1029/2024GL111063Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy AtmosphereDanica Adams0Armin Kleinböhl1King‐Fai Li2Franklin P. Mills3Run‐Lie Shia4Robin Wordsworth5Yuk L. Yung6Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Harvard University Cambridge MA USAJet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USADepartment of Environmental Sciences University of California Riverside CA USAFenner School of Environment & Society Australian National University Canberra ACT AustraliaDivision of Geological and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences Harvard University Cambridge MA USADivision of Geological and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USAAbstract Recent findings of NO near Gale Crater on Mars have been explained by two pathways: formation of nitric acid (HNO3) in a warm climate or formation of peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2) in a cool climate. Here, we put forth two hitherto unexplored pathways: (a) deposition of nitric/peroxynitric acid onto ice particles in a cold atmosphere, which settle quickly onto Mars' surface and (b) solar energetic particle‐induced production of nitric/peroxynitric acid. The deposition rates are enhanced and NO production is more efficient under the higher atmospheric pressures typical of Mars' ancient atmosphere. Depending on the unknown rate at which nitric/peroxynitric acid is lost from the surface, the new pathways could result in larger NO‐levels than those detected by the Mars Science Laboratory. We predict a 2:1 ratio of nitrite:nitrate would have deposited in cool surface climates with an icy atmosphere, whereas orders of magnitude more nitrate than nitrite is expected from warm surface climates.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111063marsnitrogen fixationphotochemistrynitriteMSLnitrate |
| spellingShingle | Danica Adams Armin Kleinböhl King‐Fai Li Franklin P. Mills Run‐Lie Shia Robin Wordsworth Yuk L. Yung Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere Geophysical Research Letters mars nitrogen fixation photochemistry nitrite MSL nitrate |
| title | Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere |
| title_full | Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere |
| title_fullStr | Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere |
| title_short | Nitrogen Fixation at Paleo‐Mars in an Icy Atmosphere |
| title_sort | nitrogen fixation at paleo mars in an icy atmosphere |
| topic | mars nitrogen fixation photochemistry nitrite MSL nitrate |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111063 |
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