In:
Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Vol. 341, No. 6143 ( 2013-07-19), p. 260-263
Abstract:
Stable isotope ratios of H, C, and O are powerful indicators of a wide variety of planetary geophysical processes, and for Mars they reveal the record of loss of its atmosphere and subsequent interactions with its surface such as carbonate formation. We report in situ measurements of the isotopic ratios of D/H and 18 O/ 16 O in water and 13 C/ 12 C, 18 O/ 16 O, 17 O/ 16 O, and 13 C 18 O/ 12 C 16 O in carbon dioxide, made in the martian atmosphere at Gale Crater from the Curiosity rover using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)’s tunable laser spectrometer (TLS). Comparison between our measurements in the modern atmosphere and those of martian meteorites such as ALH 84001 implies that the martian reservoirs of CO 2 and H 2 O were largely established ~4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface interaction may be still ongoing.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0036-8075
,
1095-9203
DOI:
10.1126/science.1237961
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Publication Date:
2013
detail.hit.zdb_id:
128410-1
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2066996-3
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2060783-0
SSG:
11