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Las emisiones de metano inducidas por la radiación ultravioleta de los meteoritos y la atmósfera marciana
Frank Keppler1, Ivan Vigano, Andy McLeod
1Department of Atmospheric Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany. frank.keppler@mpic.de
Nature
|June 9, 2012
Resumen
El metano en Marte puede tener su origen en meteoritos. La radiación ultravioleta convierte la materia orgánica en los meteoritos en metano, lo que podría explicar los niveles de metano atmosférico. Este metano extraterrestre tiene una firma isotópica de carbono similar a la de la Tierra.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Ciencias planetarias Ciencias planetarias.
- Astrobiología Astrobiología.
- La geoquímica es la geoquímica.
Sus antecedentes:
- Se ha detectado metano en la atmósfera de Marte, lo que ha provocado un debate sobre su origen y la fiabilidad de las observaciones.
- La corta vida útil del metano requiere una fuente continua, ya sea biológica o geológica.
- Las suposiciones anteriores consideraban insignificante la liberación de metano de los meteoritos.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para investigar el potencial de producción de metano a partir de meteoritos expuestos a las condiciones de la superficie marciana.
- Para determinar si el metano derivado de meteoritos puede explicar las concentraciones de metano atmosférico observadas en Marte.
- Para analizar las firmas isotópicas del metano producido a partir de meteoritos.
Principales métodos:
- Exponiendo el meteorito Murchison (una condrita carbonácea CM2) a la radiación ultravioleta bajo condiciones simuladas de la superficie marciana.
- Cuantificación de la producción de metano a través del análisis experimental.
- Analizando los isótopos estables de hidrógeno y carbono del metano liberado.
Principales resultados:
- Se producen cantidades significativas de metano del meteorito Murchison tras la exposición a la radiación ultravioleta.
- La formación de metano inducida por el ultravioleta de los meteoritos puede explicar una fracción sustancial del estimado metano atmosférico marciano.
- Los isótopos estables de hidrógeno confirman el origen extraterrestre del metano, mientras que los isótopos de carbono se asemejan al metano microbiano terrestre.
Conclusiones:
- Los meteoritos son una fuente plausible de metano atmosférico en Marte.
- La radiación ultravioleta en la superficie marciana puede impulsar la producción de metano a partir de la materia orgánica de los meteoritos.
- El análisis de isótopos de carbono por sí solo puede no distinguir entre el metano biogénico y el derivado de meteoritos en Marte.
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