AI Article Synopsis

  • The first gas chromatographic analysis of Venus's lower atmosphere was conducted, revealing a composition primarily consisting of carbon dioxide (96.4%) and a mix of other gases.
  • The detected levels of water vapor and sulfur dioxide support greenhouse models explaining Venus's extreme surface temperatures.
  • The findings suggest a significant gradient of sulfur dioxide, molecular oxygen, and water vapor in the clouds, supporting the idea of aqueous sulfuric acid presence, and indicate shared inert gases among Venus, Earth, and Mars due to outgassing from their interiors.

Article Abstract

The first gas chromatographic analysis of the lower atmosphere of Venus is reported. Three atmospheric samples were analyzed. The third of these samples showed carbon dioxide (96.4 percent), molecular nitrogen (3.41 percent), water vapor (0.135 percent), molecular oxygen [69.3 parts per million (ppm)], argon (18.6 ppm), neon (4.31 ppm), and sulfuir dioxide (186 ppm). The amounts of water vapor and sulfur dioxide detected are roughly compatible with the requirements of greenhouse models of the high surface temperature of Venus. The large positive gradient of sulfur dioxide, molecular oxygen, and water vapor from the clould tops to their bottoms, as implied by Earth-based observations and these resuilts, gives added support for the presence of major quantities of aqueous sulfuric acid in the clouds. A comparison of the inventory of inert gases found in the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars suggests that these components are due to outgassing from the planetary interiors.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.203.4382.802DOI Listing

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