Abundance and isotopic composition of gases in the martian atmosphere from the Curiosity rover

MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1237966

Abundance and isotopic composition of gases in the martian atmosphere from the Curiosity rover

MSL Science Team

Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences

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

354 Scopus citations

Abstract

Volume mixing and isotope ratios secured with repeated atmospheric measurements taken with the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity rover are: carbon dioxide (CO₂), 0.960(±0.007); argon-40 (⁴⁰Ar), 0.0193(±0.0001); nitrogen (N₂), 0.0189(±0.0003); oxygen, 1.45(±0.09) × 10^-3; carbon monoxide, < 1.0 × 10^-3; and ⁴⁰Ar/ ³⁶Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 10³. The ⁴⁰Ar/N₂ ratio is 1.7 times greater and the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio 1.6 times lower than values reported by the Viking Lander mass spectrometer in 1976, whereas other values are generally consistent with Viking and remote sensing observations. The ⁴⁰Ar/ ³⁶Ar ratio is consistent with martian meteoritic values, which provides additional strong support for a martian origin of these rocks. The isotopic signature δ¹³C from CO₂ of ∼45 per mil is independently measured with two instruments. This heavy isotope enrichment in carbon supports the hypothesis of substantial atmospheric loss.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	263-266
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	341
Issue number	6143
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1237966
State	Published - 2013

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10.1126/science.1237966

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@article{be3cc141c7634219a6273c4c1c191efc,

title = "Abundance and isotopic composition of gases in the martian atmosphere from the Curiosity rover",

abstract = "Volume mixing and isotope ratios secured with repeated atmospheric measurements taken with the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity rover are: carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.960(±0.007); argon-40 (40Ar), 0.0193(±0.0001); nitrogen (N2), 0.0189(±0.0003); oxygen, 1.45(±0.09) × 10-3; carbon monoxide, < 1.0 × 10-3; and 40Ar/ 36Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 103. The 40Ar/N2 ratio is 1.7 times greater and the 40Ar/36Ar ratio 1.6 times lower than values reported by the Viking Lander mass spectrometer in 1976, whereas other values are generally consistent with Viking and remote sensing observations. The 40Ar/ 36Ar ratio is consistent with martian meteoritic values, which provides additional strong support for a martian origin of these rocks. The isotopic signature δ13C from CO2 of ∼45 per mil is independently measured with two instruments. This heavy isotope enrichment in carbon supports the hypothesis of substantial atmospheric loss.",

author = "\{MSL Science Team\} and Mahaffy, \{Paul R.\} and Webster, \{Christopher R.\} and Atreya, \{Sushil K.\} and Heather Franz and Michael Wong and Conrad, \{Pamela G.\} and Dan Harpold and Jones, \{John J.\} and Leshin, \{Laurie A.\} and Heidi Manning and Tobias Owen and Pepin, \{Robert O.\} and Steven Squyres and Melissa Trainer and Osku Kemppinen and Nathan Bridges and Johnson, \{Jeffrey R.\} and Michelle Minitti and David Cremers and Bell, \{James F.\} and Lauren Edgar and Jack Farmer and Austin Godber and Meenakshi Wadhwa and Danika Wellington and Ian McEwan and Claire Newman and Mark Richardson and Antoine Charpentier and Laurent Peret and Penelope King and Jennifer Blank and Gerald Weigle and Mariek Schmidt and Shuai Li and Ralph Milliken and Kevin Robertson and Vivian Sun and Michael Baker and Christopher Edwards and Bethany Ehlmann and Kenneth Farley and Jennifer Griffes and John Grotzinger and Hayden Miller and Megan Newcombe and Cedric Pilorget and Melissa Rice and Kirsten Siebach and Katie Stack and Edward Stolper and Claude Brunet and Victoria Hipkin and Richard Lveill and Genevive Marchand and Snchez, \{Pablo Sobrn\} and Laurent Favot and George Cody and Andrew Steele and Lorenzo Flckiger and David Lees and Ara Nefian and Mildred Martin and Marc Gailhanou and Frances Westall and Guy Isral and Christophe Agard and Julien Baroukh and Christophe Donny and Alain Gaboriaud and Philippe Guillemot and Vivian Lafaille and Eric Lorigny and Alexis Paillet and Ren Prez and Muriel Saccoccio and Charles Yana and Carlos ArmiensAparicio and Rodrguez, \{Javier Caride\} and Blzquez, \{Isaas Carrasco\} and Gmez, \{Felipe Gmez\} and Javier Gmez-Elvira and Sebastian Hettrich and Malvitte, \{Alain Lepinette\} and Jimnez, \{Mercedes Marn\} and Jess Martnez-Fras and Javier Martn-Soler and Martn-Torres, \{F. Javier\} and Jurado, \{Antonio Molina\} and Luis Mora-Sotomayor and Caro, \{Guillermo Muoz\} and Lpez, \{Sara Navarro\} and Vernica Peinado-Gonzlez and Jorge Pla-Garca and Manfredi, \{Jos Antonio Rodriguez\} and Romeral-Planell, \{Julio Jos\} and Fuentes, \{Sara Alejandra Sans\} and Martinez, \{Eduardo Sebastian\} and Redondo, \{Josefina Torres\} and Roser Urqui-O'Callaghan and Mier, \{Mara Paz Zorzano\} and Steve Chipera and Lacour, \{Jean Luc\} and Patrick Mauchien and Sirven, \{Jean Baptiste\} and Alberto Fairn and Alexander Hayes and Jonathan Joseph and Robert Sullivan and Peter Thomas and Audrey Dupont and Angela Lundberg and Noureddine Melikechi and Alissa Mezzacappa and Julia DeMarines and David Grinspoon and Gnther Reitz and Benito Prats and Evgeny Atlaskin and Maria Genzer and Harri, \{Ari Matti\} and Harri Haukka and Henrik Kahanp and Janne Kauhanen and Mark Paton and Jouni Polkko and Walter Schmidt and Tero Siili and Ccile Fabre and James Wray and Wilhelm, \{Mary Beth\} and Franck Poitrasson and Kiran Patel and Stephen Gorevan and Stephen Indyk and Gale Paulsen and Sanjeev Gupta and David Bish and Juergen Schieber and Brigitte Gondet and Yves Langevin and Claude Geffroy and David Baratoux and Gilles Berger and Alain Cros and Claude DUston and Olivier Forni and Olivier Gasnault and Jrmie Lasue and Lee, \{Qiu Mei\} and Sylvestre Maurice and Meslin, \{Pierre Yves\} and Etienne Pallier and Yann Parot and Patrick Pinet and Susanne Schrder and Mike Toplis and Ric Lewin and Will Brunner and Ezat Heydari and Cherie Achilles and Dorothy Oehler and Brad Sutter and Michel Cabane and David Coscia and Cyril Szopa and Gilles Dromart and Franois Robert and Violaine Sautter and \{Le Moulic\}, Stphane and Nicolas Mangold and Marion Nachon and Arnaud Buch and Fabien Stalport and Patrice Coll and Pascaline Franois and Franois Raulin and Samuel Teinturier and James Cameron and Sam Clegg and Agns Cousin and Dorothea DeLapp and Robert DIngler and Jackson, \{Ryan Steele\} and Stephen Johnstone and Nina Lanza and Cynthia Little and Tony Nelson and Wiens, \{Roger C.\} and Williams, \{Richard B.\} and Andrea Jones and Laurel Kirkland and Allan Treiman and Burt Baker and Bruce Cantor and Michael Caplinger and Scott Davis and Brian Duston and Kenneth Edgett and Scott VanBommel",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1126/science.1237966",

language = "English",

volume = "341",

pages = "263--266",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

number = "6143",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Abundance and isotopic composition of gases in the martian atmosphere from the Curiosity rover

AU - MSL Science Team

AU - Mahaffy, Paul R.

AU - Webster, Christopher R.

AU - Atreya, Sushil K.

AU - Franz, Heather

AU - Wong, Michael

AU - Conrad, Pamela G.

AU - Harpold, Dan

AU - Jones, John J.

AU - Leshin, Laurie A.

AU - Manning, Heidi

AU - Owen, Tobias

AU - Pepin, Robert O.

AU - Squyres, Steven

AU - Trainer, Melissa

AU - Kemppinen, Osku

AU - Bridges, Nathan

AU - Johnson, Jeffrey R.

AU - Minitti, Michelle

AU - Cremers, David

AU - Bell, James F.

AU - Edgar, Lauren

AU - Farmer, Jack

AU - Godber, Austin

AU - Wadhwa, Meenakshi

AU - Wellington, Danika

AU - McEwan, Ian

AU - Newman, Claire

AU - Richardson, Mark

AU - Charpentier, Antoine

AU - Peret, Laurent

AU - King, Penelope

AU - Blank, Jennifer

AU - Weigle, Gerald

AU - Schmidt, Mariek

AU - Li, Shuai

AU - Milliken, Ralph

AU - Robertson, Kevin

AU - Sun, Vivian

AU - Baker, Michael

AU - Edwards, Christopher

AU - Ehlmann, Bethany

AU - Farley, Kenneth

AU - Griffes, Jennifer

AU - Grotzinger, John

AU - Miller, Hayden

AU - Newcombe, Megan

AU - Pilorget, Cedric

AU - Rice, Melissa

AU - Siebach, Kirsten

AU - Stack, Katie

AU - Stolper, Edward

AU - Brunet, Claude

AU - Hipkin, Victoria

AU - Lveill, Richard

AU - Marchand, Genevive

AU - Snchez, Pablo Sobrn

AU - Favot, Laurent

AU - Cody, George

AU - Steele, Andrew

AU - Flckiger, Lorenzo

AU - Lees, David

AU - Nefian, Ara

AU - Martin, Mildred

AU - Gailhanou, Marc

AU - Westall, Frances

AU - Isral, Guy

AU - Agard, Christophe

AU - Baroukh, Julien

AU - Donny, Christophe

AU - Gaboriaud, Alain

AU - Guillemot, Philippe

AU - Lafaille, Vivian

AU - Lorigny, Eric

AU - Paillet, Alexis

AU - Prez, Ren

AU - Saccoccio, Muriel

AU - Yana, Charles

AU - ArmiensAparicio, Carlos

AU - Rodrguez, Javier Caride

AU - Blzquez, Isaas Carrasco

AU - Gmez, Felipe Gmez

AU - Gmez-Elvira, Javier

AU - Hettrich, Sebastian

AU - Malvitte, Alain Lepinette

AU - Jimnez, Mercedes Marn

AU - Martnez-Fras, Jess

AU - Martn-Soler, Javier

AU - Martn-Torres, F. Javier

AU - Jurado, Antonio Molina

AU - Mora-Sotomayor, Luis

AU - Caro, Guillermo Muoz

AU - Lpez, Sara Navarro

AU - Peinado-Gonzlez, Vernica

AU - Pla-Garca, Jorge

AU - Manfredi, Jos Antonio Rodriguez

AU - Romeral-Planell, Julio Jos

AU - Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans

AU - Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian

AU - Redondo, Josefina Torres

AU - Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser

AU - Mier, Mara Paz Zorzano

AU - Chipera, Steve

AU - Lacour, Jean Luc

AU - Mauchien, Patrick

AU - Sirven, Jean Baptiste

AU - Fairn, Alberto

AU - Hayes, Alexander

AU - Joseph, Jonathan

AU - Sullivan, Robert

AU - Thomas, Peter

AU - Dupont, Audrey

AU - Lundberg, Angela

AU - Melikechi, Noureddine

AU - Mezzacappa, Alissa

AU - DeMarines, Julia

AU - Grinspoon, David

AU - Reitz, Gnther

AU - Prats, Benito

AU - Atlaskin, Evgeny

AU - Genzer, Maria

AU - Harri, Ari Matti

AU - Haukka, Harri

AU - Kahanp, Henrik

AU - Kauhanen, Janne

AU - Paton, Mark

AU - Polkko, Jouni

AU - Schmidt, Walter

AU - Siili, Tero

AU - Fabre, Ccile

AU - Wray, James

AU - Wilhelm, Mary Beth

AU - Poitrasson, Franck

AU - Patel, Kiran

AU - Gorevan, Stephen

AU - Indyk, Stephen

AU - Paulsen, Gale

AU - Gupta, Sanjeev

AU - Bish, David

AU - Schieber, Juergen

AU - Gondet, Brigitte

AU - Langevin, Yves

AU - Geffroy, Claude

AU - Baratoux, David

AU - Berger, Gilles

AU - Cros, Alain

AU - DUston, Claude

AU - Forni, Olivier

AU - Gasnault, Olivier

AU - Lasue, Jrmie

AU - Lee, Qiu Mei

AU - Maurice, Sylvestre

AU - Meslin, Pierre Yves

AU - Pallier, Etienne

AU - Parot, Yann

AU - Pinet, Patrick

AU - Schrder, Susanne

AU - Toplis, Mike

AU - Lewin, Ric

AU - Brunner, Will

AU - Heydari, Ezat

AU - Achilles, Cherie

AU - Oehler, Dorothy

AU - Sutter, Brad

AU - Cabane, Michel

AU - Coscia, David

AU - Szopa, Cyril

AU - Dromart, Gilles

AU - Robert, Franois

AU - Sautter, Violaine

AU - Le Moulic, Stphane

AU - Mangold, Nicolas

AU - Nachon, Marion

AU - Buch, Arnaud

AU - Stalport, Fabien

AU - Coll, Patrice

AU - Franois, Pascaline

AU - Raulin, Franois

AU - Teinturier, Samuel

AU - Cameron, James

AU - Clegg, Sam

AU - Cousin, Agns

AU - DeLapp, Dorothea

AU - DIngler, Robert

AU - Jackson, Ryan Steele

AU - Johnstone, Stephen

AU - Lanza, Nina

AU - Little, Cynthia

AU - Nelson, Tony

AU - Wiens, Roger C.

AU - Williams, Richard B.

AU - Jones, Andrea

AU - Kirkland, Laurel

AU - Treiman, Allan

AU - Baker, Burt

AU - Cantor, Bruce

AU - Caplinger, Michael

AU - Davis, Scott

AU - Duston, Brian

AU - Edgett, Kenneth

AU - VanBommel, Scott

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Volume mixing and isotope ratios secured with repeated atmospheric measurements taken with the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity rover are: carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.960(±0.007); argon-40 (40Ar), 0.0193(±0.0001); nitrogen (N2), 0.0189(±0.0003); oxygen, 1.45(±0.09) × 10-3; carbon monoxide, < 1.0 × 10-3; and 40Ar/ 36Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 103. The 40Ar/N2 ratio is 1.7 times greater and the 40Ar/36Ar ratio 1.6 times lower than values reported by the Viking Lander mass spectrometer in 1976, whereas other values are generally consistent with Viking and remote sensing observations. The 40Ar/ 36Ar ratio is consistent with martian meteoritic values, which provides additional strong support for a martian origin of these rocks. The isotopic signature δ13C from CO2 of ∼45 per mil is independently measured with two instruments. This heavy isotope enrichment in carbon supports the hypothesis of substantial atmospheric loss.

AB - Volume mixing and isotope ratios secured with repeated atmospheric measurements taken with the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity rover are: carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.960(±0.007); argon-40 (40Ar), 0.0193(±0.0001); nitrogen (N2), 0.0189(±0.0003); oxygen, 1.45(±0.09) × 10-3; carbon monoxide, < 1.0 × 10-3; and 40Ar/ 36Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 103. The 40Ar/N2 ratio is 1.7 times greater and the 40Ar/36Ar ratio 1.6 times lower than values reported by the Viking Lander mass spectrometer in 1976, whereas other values are generally consistent with Viking and remote sensing observations. The 40Ar/ 36Ar ratio is consistent with martian meteoritic values, which provides additional strong support for a martian origin of these rocks. The isotopic signature δ13C from CO2 of ∼45 per mil is independently measured with two instruments. This heavy isotope enrichment in carbon supports the hypothesis of substantial atmospheric loss.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84880405939

U2 - 10.1126/science.1237966

DO - 10.1126/science.1237966

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84880405939

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 341

SP - 263

EP - 266

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6143

ER -

Abundance and isotopic composition of gases in the martian atmosphere from the Curiosity rover

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