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30th September 2024 (11 Topics)

Mars Atmospheric Loss

Context

Recent research has unveiled intriguing findings about Mars' atmospheric history, suggesting that the planet's original atmosphere may have been absorbed by minerals in its clay-rich surface. This revelation is significant as it provides insights into how Mars transformed from a once habitable world, with abundant water, into the dry, inhospitable environment we see today.

Background

  • Over 3.5 billion years ago, Mars had a dense, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere that enabled the existence of liquid water.
  • However, this atmosphere eventually thinned dramatically, leading to the drying up of surface water.
  • Scientists have long sought to understand the processes that caused this atmospheric loss.
  • The recent research provides insights into how water and rock interactions may have contributed to this phenomenon.

Key Findings from the Research on Mars' Atmosphere

  • Absorption of Atmosphere by Clays: Researchers suggest that Mars' original atmosphere may have been absorbed by clay minerals, particularly smectites, which efficiently trap carbon dioxide.
  • Water Interaction with Rocks: The study posits that water, which was present in Mars' early history, could have seeped through the planet's crust, interacting with ultramafic rocks. This process would have led to a series of chemical reactions that transformed carbon dioxide into methane, sequestering it in clay.
  • Historical Geological Processes: The findings draw parallels between Earth's geological processes and those on Mars, particularly in how smectites are formed. On Earth, tectonic activity creates conditions for these clays, while Mars lacks such activity, prompting researchers to investigate alternative formation mechanisms.
  • Significant Carbon Sequestration: The research indicates that a substantial amount of Mars' carbon dioxide could have been stored in clay-rich layers, potentially covering the planet with over 1,100 meters of smectite.
  • Impact on Mars’ Habitability: The loss of the atmosphere could explain why Mars became uninhabitable, as the lack of a protective atmosphere would have allowed liquid water to freeze and contributed to the planet's current desolate state.

Fact Box: About Mars

  • Mars – the fourth planet from the Sun – is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. 
  • It has a distinct rusty red appearance and two unusual moons. 
  • Phenomenal dust storms can grow so large they engulf the entire planet, temperatures can get so cold that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere condenses directly into snow or frost, and marsquakes — a Mars version of an earthquake — regularly shake things up. 
  • The bright rust color Mars is known for is due to iron-rich minerals in its regolith — the loose dust and rock covering its surface. 
    • Earth's soil is a kind of regolith, too, albeit one loaded with organic content.
  • The iron minerals oxidize, or rust, causing the soil to look red.
  • Important Mars Mission
    • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
    • Mariner 9 (1971)
    • Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan  (India’s first Mars Mission)

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