Scientists Detect Key Driver of Mars’ Atmosphere Erosion
For the first time, scientists have observed a crucial process responsible for the ongoing erosion of Mars’ atmosphere. After analyzing over nine years’ worth of satellite data, a team led by planetary scientist Shannon Curry from the University of Colorado Boulder has identified clear evidence of atmospheric sputtering in action.
This discovery is a significant breakthrough in understanding how Mars lost its atmosphere and water over time.
Atmospheric sputtering is believed to be a major mechanism for atmospheric loss in the early Solar System, especially when the Sun was more active. It occurs when ions accelerated by the Solar wind collide with the unprotected atmosphere of a body like Mars, leading to the ejection of atoms and molecules into space.
Observing this process on Mars is challenging and requires specific equipment and orbital configurations. NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, launched in 2014, provided the necessary data for this study.
The researchers analyzed MAVEN’s observations of the solar electric field and the abundance of argon in Mars’ upper atmosphere. They found variations in argon densities above 350 kilometers altitude, indicating active sputtering processes.
Furthermore, the team’s findings suggest that atmospheric sputtering on present-day Mars is more significant than previously estimated. Solar storms can also enhance the sputtering effect, shedding light on conditions in the early Solar System when the Sun was more active.
This groundbreaking research has been published in Science Advances and provides valuable insights into the history of Mars’ atmosphere and potential habitability over time.
