Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory
Molecular hydrogen (H2) from volcanic emissions is suggested to warm the Martian surface when carbon dioxide (CO2) levels dropped from the Noachian (4100 to 3700 Myr) to the Hesperian (3700 to 3000 Myr). Its presence is expected to shift the conversion of molecular nitrogen (N2) into different forms...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10481/59832 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005852 |
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ftunivgranada:oai:digibug.ugr.es:10481/59832 2023-05-15T18:45:44+02:00 Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory Navarro González, Rafael Martín-Torres, Javier 2019-01-15 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10481/59832 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005852 eng eng Wiley Navarro‐González, R., Navarro, K. F., Coll, P., McKay, C. P., Stern, J. C., Sutter, B., et al. (2019). Abiotic input of fixed nitrogen by bolide impacts to Gale crater during the Hesperian: Insights from the Mars Science Laboratory. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 124, 94–113 http://hdl.handle.net/10481/59832 doi:10.1029/2018JE005852 Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess CC-BY-NC-ND info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2019 ftunivgranada https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005852 2020-02-26T00:17:43Z Molecular hydrogen (H2) from volcanic emissions is suggested to warm the Martian surface when carbon dioxide (CO2) levels dropped from the Noachian (4100 to 3700 Myr) to the Hesperian (3700 to 3000 Myr). Its presence is expected to shift the conversion of molecular nitrogen (N2) into different forms of fixed nitrogen (N). Here we present experimental data and theoretical calculations that investigate the efficiency of nitrogen fixation by bolide impacts in CO2‐N2 atmospheres with or without H2. Surprisingly, nitric oxide (NO) was produced more efficiently in 20% H2 in spite of being a reducing agent and not likely to increase the rate of nitrogen oxidation. Nevertheless, its presence led to a faster cooling of the shock wave raising the freeze‐out temperature of NO resulting in an enhanced yield. We estimate that the nitrogen fixation rate by bolide impacts varied from 7 × 10−4 to 2 × 10−3 g N·Myr−1·cm−2 and could imply fluvial concentration to explain the nitrogen (1.4 ± 0.7 g N·Myr−1·cm−2) detected as nitrite (NO2 −) and nitrate (NO3 −) by Curiosity at Yellowknife Bay. One possible explanation is that the nitrogen detected in the lacustrine sediments at Gale was deposited entirely on the crater's surface and was subsequently dissolved and transported by superficial and ground waters to the lake during favorable wet climatic conditions. The nitrogen content sharply decreases in younger sediments of the Murray formation suggesting a decline of H2 in the atmosphere and the rise of oxidizing conditions causing a shortage in the supply to putative microbial life. We acknowledge the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Program, Centre National d'Études Spatiales, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (PAPIIT IN109416, IN111619, and PAPIME PE103216), and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de México (CONACyT 220626) for their support. Article in Journal/Newspaper Yellowknife DIGIBUG: Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Granada Papiit ENVELOPE(-77.196,-77.196,61.475,61.475) Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay ENVELOPE(-114.336,-114.336,62.367,62.367) Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DIGIBUG: Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Granada |
op_collection_id |
ftunivgranada |
language |
English |
description |
Molecular hydrogen (H2) from volcanic emissions is suggested to warm the Martian surface when carbon dioxide (CO2) levels dropped from the Noachian (4100 to 3700 Myr) to the Hesperian (3700 to 3000 Myr). Its presence is expected to shift the conversion of molecular nitrogen (N2) into different forms of fixed nitrogen (N). Here we present experimental data and theoretical calculations that investigate the efficiency of nitrogen fixation by bolide impacts in CO2‐N2 atmospheres with or without H2. Surprisingly, nitric oxide (NO) was produced more efficiently in 20% H2 in spite of being a reducing agent and not likely to increase the rate of nitrogen oxidation. Nevertheless, its presence led to a faster cooling of the shock wave raising the freeze‐out temperature of NO resulting in an enhanced yield. We estimate that the nitrogen fixation rate by bolide impacts varied from 7 × 10−4 to 2 × 10−3 g N·Myr−1·cm−2 and could imply fluvial concentration to explain the nitrogen (1.4 ± 0.7 g N·Myr−1·cm−2) detected as nitrite (NO2 −) and nitrate (NO3 −) by Curiosity at Yellowknife Bay. One possible explanation is that the nitrogen detected in the lacustrine sediments at Gale was deposited entirely on the crater's surface and was subsequently dissolved and transported by superficial and ground waters to the lake during favorable wet climatic conditions. The nitrogen content sharply decreases in younger sediments of the Murray formation suggesting a decline of H2 in the atmosphere and the rise of oxidizing conditions causing a shortage in the supply to putative microbial life. We acknowledge the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Program, Centre National d'Études Spatiales, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (PAPIIT IN109416, IN111619, and PAPIME PE103216), and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de México (CONACyT 220626) for their support. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Navarro González, Rafael Martín-Torres, Javier |
spellingShingle |
Navarro González, Rafael Martín-Torres, Javier Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory |
author_facet |
Navarro González, Rafael Martín-Torres, Javier |
author_sort |
Navarro González, Rafael |
title |
Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory |
title_short |
Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory |
title_full |
Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory |
title_fullStr |
Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory |
title_full_unstemmed |
Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory |
title_sort |
abiotic input of fixed nitrogen by bolide impacts to gale crater during the hesperian: insights from the mars science laboratory |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10481/59832 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005852 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-77.196,-77.196,61.475,61.475) ENVELOPE(-114.336,-114.336,62.367,62.367) |
geographic |
Papiit Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay |
geographic_facet |
Papiit Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay |
genre |
Yellowknife |
genre_facet |
Yellowknife |
op_relation |
Navarro‐González, R., Navarro, K. F., Coll, P., McKay, C. P., Stern, J. C., Sutter, B., et al. (2019). Abiotic input of fixed nitrogen by bolide impacts to Gale crater during the Hesperian: Insights from the Mars Science Laboratory. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 124, 94–113 http://hdl.handle.net/10481/59832 doi:10.1029/2018JE005852 |
op_rights |
Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005852 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
_version_ |
1766236874303602688 |