Photo-induced fractionation of water isotopomers in the Martian atmosphere

Bing Ming Cheng; Eh Piew Chew; Chin Ping Liu; Mohammed Bahou; Yuan-Pern Lee; Yuk L. Yung; M. F. Gerstell

doi:10.1029/1999GL008367

Photo-induced fractionation of water isotopomers in the Martian atmosphere

Bing Ming Cheng^*, Eh Piew Chew, Chin Ping Liu, Mohammed Bahou, Yuan-Pern Lee, Yuk L. Yung, M. F. Gerstell

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Applied Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

79 Scopus citations

Abstract

The history and size of the water reservoirs on early Mars can be constrained using isotopic ratios of deuterium to hydrogen. We present new laboratory measurements of the ultraviolet cross-sections of H₂O and its isotopomers, and modeling calculations in support of a photo-induced fractionation effect (PHIFE), that reconciles a discrepancy between past theoretical modeling and recent observations. This supports the hypothesis that Mars had an early warm atmosphere and has lost at least a 50-m global layer of water. Likely applications of PHIFE to other planetary atmospheres are sketched.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3657-3660
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	26
Issue number	24
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GL008367
State	Published - 15 Dec 1999

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10.1029/1999GL008367

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abstract = "The history and size of the water reservoirs on early Mars can be constrained using isotopic ratios of deuterium to hydrogen. We present new laboratory measurements of the ultraviolet cross-sections of H2O and its isotopomers, and modeling calculations in support of a photo-induced fractionation effect (PHIFE), that reconciles a discrepancy between past theoretical modeling and recent observations. This supports the hypothesis that Mars had an early warm atmosphere and has lost at least a 50-m global layer of water. Likely applications of PHIFE to other planetary atmospheres are sketched.",

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AU - Cheng, Bing Ming

AU - Chew, Eh Piew

AU - Liu, Chin Ping

AU - Bahou, Mohammed

AU - Lee, Yuan-Pern

AU - Yung, Yuk L.

AU - Gerstell, M. F.

PY - 1999/12/15

Y1 - 1999/12/15

N2 - The history and size of the water reservoirs on early Mars can be constrained using isotopic ratios of deuterium to hydrogen. We present new laboratory measurements of the ultraviolet cross-sections of H2O and its isotopomers, and modeling calculations in support of a photo-induced fractionation effect (PHIFE), that reconciles a discrepancy between past theoretical modeling and recent observations. This supports the hypothesis that Mars had an early warm atmosphere and has lost at least a 50-m global layer of water. Likely applications of PHIFE to other planetary atmospheres are sketched.

AB - The history and size of the water reservoirs on early Mars can be constrained using isotopic ratios of deuterium to hydrogen. We present new laboratory measurements of the ultraviolet cross-sections of H2O and its isotopomers, and modeling calculations in support of a photo-induced fractionation effect (PHIFE), that reconciles a discrepancy between past theoretical modeling and recent observations. This supports the hypothesis that Mars had an early warm atmosphere and has lost at least a 50-m global layer of water. Likely applications of PHIFE to other planetary atmospheres are sketched.

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VL - 26

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EP - 3660

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 24

ER -

Photo-induced fractionation of water isotopomers in the Martian atmosphere

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