Heterogeneous chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars

Franck Lefèvre (), Jean-Loup Bertaux, R. Todd Clancy, Thérèse Encrenaz, Kelly Fast, François Forget, Sébastien Lebonnois, Franck Montmessin and Séverine Perrier
Additional contact information
Franck Lefèvre: UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Service d’Aéronomie, Paris F-75005, France
Jean-Loup Bertaux: CNRS/INSU
R. Todd Clancy: Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, Colorado 80301, USA
Thérèse Encrenaz: CNRS/INSU
Kelly Fast: Planetary Systems Laboratory, Code 693, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
François Forget: CNRS/INSU
Sébastien Lebonnois: CNRS/INSU
Franck Montmessin: CNRS/INSU
Séverine Perrier: CNRS/INSU

Nature, 2008, vol. 454, issue 7207, 971-975

Abstract: Abstract Hydrogen radicals are produced in the martian atmosphere by the photolysis of water vapour and subsequently initiate catalytic cycles that recycle carbon dioxide from its photolysis product carbon monoxide1,2. These processes provide a qualitative explanation for the stability of the atmosphere of Mars, which contains 95 per cent carbon dioxide. Balancing carbon dioxide production and loss based on our current understanding of the gas-phase chemistry in the martian atmosphere has, however, proven to be difficult3,4,5. Interactions between gaseous chemical species and ice cloud particles have been shown to be key factors in the loss of polar ozone observed in the Earth’s stratosphere6, and may significantly perturb the chemistry of the Earth’s upper troposphere7. Water-ice clouds are also commonly observed in the atmosphere of Mars8,9,10 and it has been suggested previously that heterogeneous chemistry could have an important impact on the composition of the martian atmosphere3,4,5,11. Here we use a state-of-the-art general circulation model together with new observations of the martian ozone layer12,13,14,15 to show that model simulations that include chemical reactions occurring on ice clouds lead to much improved quantitative agreement with observed martian ozone levels in comparison with model simulations based on gas-phase chemistry alone. Ozone is readily destroyed by hydrogen radicals and is therefore a sensitive tracer of the chemistry that regulates the atmosphere of Mars. Our results suggest that heterogeneous chemistry on ice clouds plays an important role in controlling the stability and composition of the martian atmosphere.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07116

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