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Oxidizing Atmosphere

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

An oxidizing atmosphere is a (planetary) atmosphere which oxidizes immersed (surface) compounds. It sometimes refers to an O2-rich atmosphere, for example the atmosphere of modern Earth. Most of the Earth’s atmospheric oxygen is generated by biological photosynthesis; however, oxidation can also be an effect of photochemistry initiated by stellar UV radiation. The Martian atmosphere, for instance, is an oxidizing atmosphere. Its main constituents are CO2, N2, Ar, and H2O, but the OH radicals and oxygen atoms produced by photolysis result in surface oxidation and the formation of O2, O3 and H2O2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Bordeaux-CNRS, Bordeaux, France

    Franck Selsis

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  1. Franck Selsis
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Correspondence to Franck Selsis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Selsis, F. (2014). Oxidizing Atmosphere. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1136-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1136-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Oxidizing Atmosphere
    Published:
    13 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1136-4

  2. Original

    Oxidizing Atmosphere
    Published:
    05 May 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1136-3

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