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Nitrates on Mars

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Nitrates are salts of the nitric acid (HNO3). It has been estimated that one quarter of the initial Martian atmospheric molecular nitrogen today is fixed in the form of nitrates in the soil. A possible formation process of these nitrates is the dissociation of the atmospheric molecular nitrogen through shock heating caused by impacts or through photochemical reactions (Smith et al. 2014). Nitrates are highly soluble in water, hence nitrates entrained in the Martian cryosphere may contribute to the generation of brines near the surface. Because nitrates are a fundamental source of nitrogen for life on Earth, the detection of nitrates on Mars is an important parameter for the assessment of potential habitable environments. Recent analyses of “Rocknest” sand samples at Gale crater by the NASA rover “Curiosity” tentatively indicate the presence of nitrates.

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References and Further Reading

  • Smith ML, Claire MW, Catling DC, Zahnle KJ (2014) The formation of sulfate, nitrate and perchlorate salts in the Martian atmosphere. Icarus 231:51–64

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Aerospace Center DLR, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

    Daniela Tirsch

  2. Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften Tektonik und Sedimentäre Geologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Berlin, Germany

    Alessandro Airo

Authors
  1. Daniela Tirsch
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  2. Alessandro Airo
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Correspondence to Daniela Tirsch .

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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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Tirsch, D., Airo, A. (2014). Nitrates on Mars. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5087-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5087-2

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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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