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 18O/16O in water and 13C/12C, 18O/16O, 17O/16O, and 13C18O/12C16O 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 CO2 and H2O were largely established ~4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface
interaction may be still ongoing.
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 18O/16O in water and 13C/12C, 18O/16O, 17O/16O, and 13C18O/12C16O 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 CO2 and H2O were largely established ~4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface
interaction may be still ongoing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 260-263 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Science |
| Volume | 341 |
| Issue number | 6143 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |