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Oxidizing Atmosphere

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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. CNRS, Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Bordeaux, Passac, 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. Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Univ. Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Analytical-, Environm., Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe Claeys

  5. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, WASHINGTON, DC, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  6. Radio Astronomy, Paris Observatory, Paris, France

    Maryvonne Gerin

  7. Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, Meudon, France

    Daniel Rouan

  8. International Space Science Institute, Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Tilman Spohn

  9. Centre Francois Viète, Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Stéphane Tirard

  10. Innovaxiom, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Selsis, F. (2022). Oxidizing Atmosphere. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1136-4

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

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • 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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