UV degradation of accreted organics on Mars: IDP longevity, surface reservoir of organics, and relevance to the detection of methane in the atmosphere

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Volumn 117, Issue 8, 2012, Pages

  Moores, John E ^a   Schuerger, Andrew C ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO   (Canada)

^b UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

IRRADIATION; MARS; METEORITE; METHANE; PHOTOLYSIS; ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION;

EID: 84865465710     PISSN: 01480227     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/2012JE004060     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. Allen, C. C., J. L. Gooding, M. Jercinovic, and K. Keil (1981), Altered basaltic glass: A terrestrial analog to the soil of Mars, Icarus, 45, 347-369, doi:10.1016/0019-1035(81)90040-3.
2. Archer, P. D. (2010), The Martian near surface environment: Analysis of antarctic soils and laboratory experiments on putative Martian organics, PhD thesis, Univ. of Ariz., Tuscon.
3. Arvidson, R. E., et al. (2009), Results from the Mars Phoenix Lander robotic arm experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 114, E00E02, doi:10.1029/2009JE003408.
4. Atreya, S. K., P. R. Mahaffy, and A. S. Wong (2007), Methane and related species on Mars: Origin, loss, implications for life and habitability, Planet. Space Sci., 55, 358-369, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2006.02.005. (Pubitemid 46186453)
5. Benner, S. A., K. G. Devine, L. N. Matveeva, and D. H. Powell (2000), The missing organic molecules on Mars, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 97(6), 2425-2430, doi:10.1073/pnas.040539497. (Pubitemid 30159187)
6. Biemann, K., J. Oro, P. Toulmin III, L. E. Orgel, A. O. Nier, D. M. Anderson, D. Flory, A. V. Diaz, D. R. Rushneck, and P. G. Simmonds (1976), Search for organic and volatile inorganic compounds in two surface samples from the Chryse Planitia region of Mars, Science, 194(4260), 72-76, doi:10.1126/science.194.4260.72.
7. Biemann, K., J. Oro, P. Toulmin III, L. E. Orgel, A. O. Nier, D. M. Anderson, D. Flory, A. V. Diaz, D. R. Rushneck, and P. G. Simmonds (1977), The search for organic substances and inorganic volatile compounds in the surface of Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 82, 4641-4658, doi:10.1029/JS082i028p04641.
8. Bradley, J. P. (2003), Interplanetary dust particles, in Treatise on Geochemistry, vol. 1, edited by A. M. Davis, pp. 689-711, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
9. Brownlee, D. E. (1985), Cosmic dust: Collection and research, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 13, 147-173, doi:10.1146/annurev.ea.13.050185.001051.
10. Cloutis, E. A., et al. (2011), ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter MATMOS Instrument: Preliminary strategy for development of a dust spectral library, Proc. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., 42, Abstract 1175.
11. Cockell, C. S., D. C. Catling, W. L. Davis, K. Snook, R. L. Kepner, P. Lee, and C. P. McKay (2000), The ultraviolet environment of Mars: Biological implications past, present and future, Icarus, 146, 343-359, doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6393.
12. Cockell, C., P. Rettberg, G. Horneck, K. Scherer, and M. D. Stokes (2003), Measurements of microbial protection from ultraviolet radiation in polar terrestrial microhabitats, Polar Biol., 26, 62-69. (Pubitemid 36725723)
13. Conrath, B. J., J. C. Pearl, M. D. Smith, W. C. Maguire, S. Dason, M. S. Kaelberer, and P. R. Christensen (2000), Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) observations: Atmospheric temperatures during aerobraking and science phasing, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 9509-9519, doi:10.1029/1999JE001095.
14. Flynn, G. J. (1996), The delivery of organic matter from the asteroids and comets to the early surface of Mars, Earth Moon Planet., 72, 469-474, doi:10.1007/BF00117551.
15. Flynn, G. J., and D. S. McKay (1990), An assessment of the meteoritic contribution to the Martian soil, J. Geophys. Res., 95(B9), 14,497-14,509.
16. Flynn, G. J., L. P. Keller, M. Feser, S. Wirick, and C. Jacobsen (2003), The origin of organic matter in the solar system: Evidence from the interplanetary dust particles, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 67(24), 4791-4806, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2003.09.001. (Pubitemid 38024982)
17. Flynn, G. J., S. Wirick, L. P. Keller, C. Jacobsen and S. A. Sandford (2010), Organic Coatings on individual grains in CP IDPs: Implications for the formation mechanism of pre-biotic organic matter and for grain sticking in the early solar system, Proc. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., 41, Abstract 1079.
18. Hecht, M. H., et al. (2009), Detection of perchlorates and the soluble chemistry of Martian soil at the Phoenix landing site, Science, 325, 64-67, doi:10.1126/science.1172466.
19. Hoffman, J. H., R. C. Chaney, and H. Hammack (2008), Phoenix Mars Mission-The thermal evolved gas Analyzer, J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 19(10), 1377-1383, doi:10.1016/j.jasms.2008.07.015.
20. Jeong, I.-S., J. H. Kim, and S. Im (2003), Ultraviolet-enhanced photodiode employing n-ZnO/p-Si structure, Appl. Phys. Lett., 83, 2946-2948, doi:10.1063/1.1616663.
21. Johnson, J. R., W. M. Grundy, and M. T. Lemmon (2003), Dust deposition at the Mars Pathfinder landing site: Observations and modeling of visible/near infrared spectra, Icarus, 163, 330-346. (Pubitemid 36860442)
22. Klein, H. P. (1978), The Viking biological experiments on Mars, Icarus, 34(3), 666-674, doi:10.1016/0019-1035(78)90053-2.
23. Krasnopolsky, V. A. (2003), Spectroscopic mapping of Mars CO mixing ratio: Detection of north-south asymmetry, J. Geophys. Res., 108(E2), 5010, doi:10.1029/2002JE001926.
24. Krasnopolsky, V. A. (2006), Photochemistry of the Martian atmosphere: Seasonal, latitudinal, and diurnal variations, Icarus, 185, 153-170, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.06.003. (Pubitemid 44488073)
25. Krasnopolsky, V. A., J. P. Maillard, and T. C. Owen (2004), Detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere: Evidence for life?, Icarus, 172, 537-547, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.07.004. (Pubitemid 40030638)
26. Kuhn, W. R., and S. K. Atreya (1979), Solar radiation incident on the Martian surface, J. Mol. Evol., 14, 57-64, doi:10.1007/BF01732367.
27. Lefèvre, F., and F. Forget (2009), Observed variations of methane on Mars unexplained by known atmospheric chemistry and physics, Nature, 460, 720-723, doi:10.1038/nature08228.
28. Lemmon, M. T., et al. (2004), Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and Opportunity, Science, 306(5702), 1753-1756. (Pubitemid 39601387)
29. Ming, D. W., H. V. Lauer Jr., P. D. Archer Jr., B. Sutter, D. C. Goldern, R. V. Morris, P. B. Niles and W. V. Boynton (2009), Combustion of organic molecules by the thermal decomposition of perchlorate salts: Implications for organics at the Mars Phoenix Scout landing site, Proc. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., 40, Abstract 2241.
30. Mischna, M. A., M. Allen, M. I. Richardson, C. E. Newman, and A. D. Toigo (2011), Atmospheric modeling of Mars methane surface releases, Planet. Space Sci., 59, 227-237, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.07.005.
31. Moores, J. E., P. H. Smith, R. Tanner, A. C. Schuerger, and K. J. Venkateswaran (2007), The shielding effect of small scale Martian surface geometry on ultraviolet flux, Icarus, 192, 417-433, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007. 07.003.
32. Mumma, M. J., G. L. Villanueva, R. E. Novak, T. Hewagama, B. P. Bonev, M. A. DiSanti, A. M. Mandell and M. D. Smith (2009), Strong release of methane on Mars in northern summer 2003, Science, 323(5917), 1041-1045, doi:10.1126/science.1165243.
33. Navarro-González, R., E. Vargas, J. de la Rosa, A. C. Raga, and C. P. McKay (2010), Reanalysis of the Viking results suggests perchlorate and organics at midlatitudes on Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 115, E12010, doi:10.1029/2010JE003599.
34. Nishiizumi, K., J. R. Arnold, D. Fink, J. Klein, and R. Middleton (1991), Exposure history of individual cosmic particles, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 104(2-4), 315-324, doi:10.1016/0012-821X(91)90212-Z.
35. Oyama, V. I., B. J. Berdahl, and G. C. Carle (1977), Preliminary findings of the Viking gas exchange experiment and a model for Martian surface chemistry, Nature, 265, 110-114, doi:10.1038/265110a0.
36. Patel, M. R., A. Bérces, C. Kolb, H. Lammer, P. Rettberg, J. C. Zarnecki, and F. Selsis (2003), Seasonal and diurnal variations in Martian surface ultraviolet irradiation: Biological and chemical implications for the Martian regolith, Int. J. Astrobiol., 2, 21-34, doi:10.1017/S1473550402001180.
37. Patel, M. R., A. Bérces, T. Kerékgyárto, Rontó, H. Lammer, and J. C. Zarnecki (2004), Annual solar UV exposure and biological effective dose rates on the Martian surface, Adv. Space Res., 33, 1247-1252, doi:10.1016/j.asr.2003.08.036. (Pubitemid 38571221)
38. Schramm, L. S., D. E. Brownlee, and M. M. Wheelock (1989), Major element composition of stratospheric micrometeorites, Meteoritics, 124, 99-112.
39. Schuerger, A. C., R. L. Mancinelli, R. G. Kern, L. J. Rothschild, and C. P. McKay (2003), Survival of endospores of Bacillus subtilis on spacecraft surfaces under simulated Martian environments: Implications for the forward contamination of Mars, Icarus, 165, 253-276. (Pubitemid 37260926)
40. Schuerger, A. C., C. Clausen, and D. Britt (2011), Methane evolution from UV-irradiated spacecraft materials under simulated Martian conditions: Implications for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, Icarus, 213, 393-403, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.02.017.
41. Schuerger, A. C., J. E. Moores, C. A. Clausen, N. G. Barlow, and D. T. Britt (2012), Methane from UV-irradiated carbonaceous chondrites under simulated Martian conditions, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2011JE004023, in press.
42. Shkrob, I. A., S. D. Chemerisov, and T. W. Marin (2010), Photocatalytic decomposition of carboxylated molecules on light-exposed Martian rego-lith and its relation to methane production on Mars, Astrobiology, 10, 425-436, doi:10.1089/ast.2009.0433.
43. Stalport, F., P. Coll, C. Szopa, H. Cottin, and F. Raulin (2009), Investigating the photostability of carboxylic acids exposed to Mars surface ultraviolet radiation conditions, Astrobiology, 9(6), 543-549, doi:10.1089/ast.2008.0300.
44. Stalport, F., Y. Y. Guan, P. Coll, C. Szopa, F. Macari, F. Raulin, D. Chaput, and H. Cottin (2010), UVolution, a photochemistry experiment in low Earth orbit: Investigation of the photostability of carboxylic acids exposed to Mars surface UV radiation conditions, Astrobiology, 10(4), 449-461, doi:10.1089/ast.2009.0413.
45. Stoker, C. R., and M. A. Bullock (1997), Organic degradation under simulated Martian conditions, J. Geophys. Res., 102(E5), 10,881-10,888, doi:10.1029/97JE00667.
46. Summers, M. E., B. J. Lieb, E. Chapman, and Y. L. Yung (2002), Atmospheric biomarkers of subsurface life on Mars, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(24), 2171, doi:10.1029/2002GL015377.
47. Ten Kate, I. L., J. R. C. Garry, Z. Peters, R. Quinn, B. Foing, and P. Ehrenfreund (2005), Amino acid photostability on the Martian surface, Meteorit. Planet. Sci., 40(8), 1185-1193, doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00183.x. (Pubitemid 41556362)
48. Thomas, K. L., G. E. Blanford, L. P. Keller, W. Klock, and D. S. McKay (1993), Carbon abundance and silicate mineralogy of anhydrous interplanetary dust particles, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 57, 1551-1566, doi:10.1016/0016- 7037(93)90012-L. (Pubitemid 23392574)
49. Tomasko, M. G., L. R. Doose, M. Lemmon, P. H. Smith, and E. Wegryn (1999), Properties of dust in the Martian atmosphere from the imager for Mars Pathfinder, J. Geophys. Res., 104(E4), 8987-9007, doi:10.1029/1998JE900016. (Pubitemid 29465150)
50. Webster, C. R., and P. R. Mahaffy (2010), Determining the local abundance of Martian methane and its 13C/12C and D/H isotopic ratios for comparai-son with related gas and soil analysis on the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, Planet. Space Sci., 59(2-3), 271-283, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.08.021.
51. Wennberg, P. O., et al. (2011), MATMOS: The Mars atmospheric trace molecule occultation spectrometer, paper presented at Fourth International Workshop on the Mars Atmosphere: Modelling and Observations, Lab. de Meteorol. Dyn., Paris, 8-11 Feb.
52. Wong, A.-S., and S. K. Atreya (2003), Chemical markers of possible hotspots on Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 108(E4), 5026, doi:10.1029/2002JE002003.
53. Zahnle, K., R. S. Freedman, and D. C. Catling (2011), Is there methane on Mars?, Icarus, 212, 493-503, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.11.027.
54. Zent, A. P., and C. P. McKay (1994), The chemical reactivity of the Martian soil and implications for future missions, Icarus, 108, 146-157, doi:10.1006/icar.1994.1047.
55. Zent, A. P., M. C. Hecht, D. R. Cobos, S. E. Wood, T. L. Hudson, S. M. Milkovich, L. P. DeFlores, and M. T. Mellon (2010), Initial results from the thermal and electrical conductivity probe (TECP) on Phoenix, J. Geophys. Res., 115, E00E14, doi:10.1029/2009JE003420.
56. Zurek, R. W., A. Chicarro, M. A. Allen, J.-L. Bertaux, R. T. Clancy, F. Daerdenm, V. Formisano, J. B. Garvin, G. Neukum, and M. D. Smith (2010), Assessment of a 2016 mission concept: The search for trace gasses in the atmosphere of Mars, Planet. Space Sci., 59(2-3), 284-291, doi:10.1016/j.pss. 2010.07.007.