Mars Dust Storm May Hold Key to Mystery

In 1976, the Viking lander examined Martian soil by adding nutrients and water. Two experiments showed that the nutrients were broken down, which would be expected if microscopic life were present, but the Mass Spectrometer experiment found no organic matter in the soil.

The following year, Viking researchers proposed an explanation: very reactive nonorganic chemicals could cause the breakdown. Hydrogen peroxide and ozone are two such chemicals. Unfortunately, ultraviolet radiation from the sun could not produce nearly enough of these chemicals to account for the results, so the mystery lay dormant for nearly thirty years.

Now researchers have found that a theory, originally presented in 1977 but seemingly discarded, may hold the key. Their calculations show that the electric fields generated in Mars' swirling dust storms would be strong enough to break apart carbon dioxide and water molecules in the Martian atmophere. The research further shows how these broken apart molecules could recombine into hydrogen peroxide and ozone, accounting for the results found in the 1976 experiments. The details on the research is available in the June 2006 issue of the journal Astrobiology.

Related Topics:

• NASA - Scientists Suggest Solution to 30-Year-Old Martian Mystery
• Astrobiology - Oxidant Enhancement in Martian Dust Devils and Storms: Implications for Life and Habitability (abstract - subscription necessary for full text)
• Astrobiology - Oxidant Enhancement in Martian Dust Devils and Storms: Storm Electric Fields and Electron Dissociative Attachment (abstract - subscription necessary for full text)
• Sounding Off on Mars

Image: Artistic example of Mars dust storm provided to the public domain by NASA.