Mars' dust storms may produce peroxide snow

[telfrow]

The planet-wide dust storms that periodically cloak Mars in a mantle of red may be generating a snow of corrosive chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, that would be toxic to life, according to two new studies published in the most recent issue of the journal Astrobiology. <br /><br />Based on field studies on Earth, laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling, the researchers argue that oxidizing chemicals could be produced by the static electricity generated in the swirling dust clouds that often obscure the surface for months, said University of California, Berkeley, physicist Gregory T. Delory, first author of one of the papers. If these chemicals have been produced regularly over the last 3 billion years, when Mars has presumably been dry and dusty, the accumulated peroxide in the surface soil could have built to levels that would kill "life as we know it," he said. <br /><br />"If true, this very much affects the interpretation of soil measurements made by the Viking landers in the 1970s," said Delory, a senior fellow at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory. A major goal of the Viking mission, comprised of two spacecraft launched by NASA in 1975, was testing Mars' red soil for signs of life. In 1976, the two landers aboard the spacecraft settled on the Martian surface and conducted four separate tests, including some that involved adding nutrients and water to the dirt and sniffing for gas production, which could be a telltale sign of living microorganisms. <br /><br />The tests were inconclusive because gases were produced only briefly, and other instruments found no traces of organic materials that would be expected if life were present. These results are more indicative of a chemical reaction than the presence of life, Delory said. <br /><br />"The jury is still out on whether there is life on Mars, but it's clear that Mars has very chemically reactive conditions in the soil," he said. "It is possible there could be long-term corrosive effects that would i <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[bonzelite]

that's very intriguing. <br /><br />isn't the rust color of mars due to oxidation?

 

[mikeemmert]

A new meaning to the phrase, "bleached bones"...I hope the fossils there haven't turned into fake blondes...<br /><br />I read about the peroxides from the Viking results many years ago. They said at that time that they were thought to be produced by photochemical reactions. Static electricity could probably also produce the substance. Electric fields are used to produce ozone commercially.<br /><br />There has been pretty intense research into photochemical reactions by the photographic industry. Unfortunately, this was pre-internet and besides, these were commercial secrets. Now photography is done with CCDs so there's less incentive for it.<br /><br />Acetylene, a photochemical, and related compounds have been found on Titan. Liquid acetylene is an unstable explosive. It is shipped and stored dissolved in acetone, in which acetylene dissolves copiously. I have no information if acetylene can undergo reactions at low temperatures.<br /><br />I wonder - (<img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" />) ...<br /><br />Is the prevalence of chlorophyll in the Earth's biosphere a result of an evolutionary accident, with the possibility of some other photochemical reaction being the dominant reaction elsewhere through sheer blind luck?<br /><br />(Glad I belong to Uplink these days. Prior to 2001, a lot of the people I knew would respond to that question with, "Well, what about <font color="yellow">GOD<font color="white">?" <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> )</font></font>

 

[bonzelite]

but mike, didn't you know GOD made the acetylene? and the chlorophyl? we've solved that mystery already. geez. get hip to GOD, mike. GOD is watching us from a distance. and He sent chlorophyl to Bethlehem. it's in the Scripture. haven't you read that part? <br /><br />didn't you know GOD is watching us from a distance? Jesus made the peroxide snow, mike. my, Lord. <br /><br />

 

[JonClarke]

I must confess my reaction to this is, ho hum. Peroxide has been measured in the Martian atmosphere for decades, and the presence of peroxides in the soil has been known for 30 years.<br /><br />There was a lot of excitment about electrical charging in the atmosphere from dust stroms and whirlwinds, leading to the usual doom and gloom scenarioes about the fate of manned and unmanned missions but the fact is that the MERs have not experienced any charging phenomena whatsover. So i think the level of static build up is over rated.<br /><br />I am inclined to be sceptical on this one.<br /><br />Jon <br /><br /><i> Added in edit</i> The concretation of peroxide in the soil is of the order of a few 10's of ppm. So to talk about peroxide "snow" requires considerable poetic license! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[mikeemmert]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>we've solved that mystery already.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>Awwwwww... that's no fun. <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /><br /><br />;-)

 

[alokmohan]

Sensational journalism?Old wine in in new bottle?So we still remain agnostic with repect to life on mars?Alo martian chemial laws and prebiotic soup may not follow same rules as on earth?So we may not rule out both possibilities.

 

[JonClarke]

Indeed. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>