Publication Date:
2017-03-21
Description:
Nitrate was recently detected in Gale Crater sediments on Mars at abundances up to ~600 mg/kg, confirming predictions of its presence at abundances consistent with models based on impact-generated nitrate and other sources of fixed nitrogen. Terrestrial Mars analogs, Mars meteorites, and other solar system materials help establish a context for interpreting in situ nitrate measurements on Mars, particularly in relation to other cooccuring salts. We compare the relative abundance of nitrates to oxychlorine (chlorate and/or perchlorate, hereafter (per)chlorate) salts on Mars and Earth. The nitrate/(per)chlorate ratio on Mars is 〈 1, significantly lower than on Earth (nitrate/(per)chlorate 〉 10 3 ), suggesting not only the absence of biological activity but also different (per)chlorate formation mechanisms on Mars than on Earth. Published 2017. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Print ISSN:
0094-8276
Electronic ISSN:
1944-8007
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
Permalink