Lightning Associated to Archean Volcanic Ash-Gas Clouds

Navarro‐González, Rafael; Basiuk, Vladimir A.; Rosenbaum, M.

doi:10.1007/978-94-009-1712-5_9

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Volcanic lightning is another phenomenon that could have produced fixed nitrogen on the early Earth. Volcanic eruptions can create plumes and clouds in which lightning occurs at a high frequency (~10–100 flash/min [ 89 , 90 ]). Given the possible high rates of volcanism on the early Earth, volcanic lightning may have contributed to the production of fixed nitrogen [ 91 ]; this process has also been suggested to be plausible on early Mars [ 92 ].…”

Section: Nitrogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of Nitrogen-, Sulfur-, and Phosphorus-Containing Feedstocks for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Planetary Environment

Todd

2022

Life

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Biochemistry on Earth makes use of the key elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur (or CHONPS). Chemically accessible molecules containing these key elements would presumably have been necessary for prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life on Earth. For example, feedstock molecules including fixed nitrogen (e.g., ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), accessible forms of phosphorus (e.g., phosphate, phosphite, etc.), and sources of sulfur (e.g., sulfide, sulfite) may have been necessary for the origins of life, given the biochemistry seen in Earth life today. This review describes potential sources of nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-containing molecules in the context of planetary environments. For the early Earth, such considerations may be able to aid in the understanding of our own origins. Additionally, as we learn more about potential environments on other planets (for example, with upcoming next-generation telescope observations or new missions to explore other bodies in our Solar System), evaluating potential sources for elements necessary for life (as we know it) can help constrain the potential habitability of these worlds.

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Section: Nitrogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of Nitrogen-, Sulfur-, and Phosphorus-Containing Feedstocks for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Planetary Environment

Todd

2022

Life

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“…This negative result cannot completely dismiss the possibility of other types of unusual lightning discharges in Titan's clouds. In fact during explosive volcanic eruptions on Earth, intense lightning discharges of a few hundred meters in length, are produced, whose total energy per flash is precisely about 10 6 J (Anderson et al, 1965; for reviews see Navarro-González et al, 1996 and. This does not imply, however, that volcanic lightning may occur in Titan today but rather that a better knowledge is needed on the physics of lightning.…”

Section: Electrical Activity In the Tropospherementioning

confidence: 99%

Corona Chemistry in Titan.

et al. 1998

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The atmosphere of Titan is constantly bombarded by galactic cosmic rays and Saturnian magnetospheric electrons causing the formation of free electrons and primary ions, which are then stabilized by ion cluster formation and charging of aerosols. These charged particles accumulate in drops in cloud regions of the troposphere. Their abundance can substantially increase by friction, fragmentation or collisions during convective activity. Charge separation occurs with help of convection and gravitational settling leading to development of electric fields within the cloud and between the cloud and the ground. Neutralization of these charged particles leads to corona discharges which are characterized by low current densities. We have therefore, experimentally studied the corona discharge of a simulated Titan's atmosphere (10% methane and 2% argon in nitrogen) at 500 Torr and 298 K by GC-FTIR-MS techniques. The main products have been identified as hydrocarbons (ethane, ethyne, ethene, propane, propene+propyne, cyclopropane, butane, 2-methylpropane, 2-methylpropene, n-butane, 2-butene, 2,2-dimethylpropane, 2-methylbutane, 2methylbutene, n-pentane, 2,2-dimethylbutane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, 2,2dimethylhexane, 2,2-dimethylpentane, 2,2,3-trimethylbutane, 2,3-dimethylpentane and n-heptane), nitriles (hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen, ethanenitrile, propanenitrile, 2-methylpropanenitrile and butanenitrile) and a highly branched hydrocarbon deposit. We present the trends of hydrocarbons and nitriles formation as a function of discharge time in an ample interval and have derived their initial yields of formation. The results clearly demonstrate that a complex organic chemistry can be initiated by corona processes in the lower atmosphere. Although photochemistry and charged particle chemistry occurring in the stratosphere can account for many of the observed hydrocarbon species in Titan, the predicted abundance of ethene is too low by a factor of 10 to 40. While some ethene will be produced by charged-particle chemistry, the production of ethene by corona processes and its subsequent diffusion into the stratosphere appears to be an adequate source. Because little UV penetrates to the lower atmosphere to destroy the molecules formed there, the corona-produced species may be long-lived and contribute significantly to the composition of the lower atmosphere and surface.

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“…Explosive volcanism is characterized by the formation of floating plumes composed of ashes and volcanic gases that acquire electric charge during their ejection into the atmosphere producing lightning discharges of hundreds of meters in length . The explosive eruption column of a volcano is particularly an interesting locale due to (1) the presence of reduced magmatic gases; (2) the production of volcanic lightning activity; and (3) the fast escape of the nascent molecules from the high-temperature zone at sonic or supersonic speeds Navarro-González and Basiuk, 1998;Navarro-González et al, 1996;Navarro-González and Segura, 2001). The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance of this microenvironment in the production of hydrocarbons by volcanic lightning and volcanic heat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production Of Low Molecular Weight Hydrocarbons By Volcanic Eruptions On Early Mars

Segura

Navarro‐González

2005

Orig Life Evol Biosph

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Methane and other larger hydrocarbons have been proposed as possible greenhouse gases on early Mars. In this work we explore if volcanic processes may have been a source for such molecules based on theoretical and experimental considerations. Geologic evidence and numerical simulations indicate that explosive volcanism was widely distributed throughout Mars. Volcanic lightning is typically produced in such explosive volcanism. Therefore this geologic setting was studied to determine if lightning could be a source for hydrocarbons in volcanic plumes. Volcanic lightning was simulated by focusing a high-energy infrared laser beam inside of a Pyrex reactor that contained the proposed volcanic gas mixture composed of 64% CH(4), 24% H(2), 10% H(2)O and 2% N(2), according to an accretion model and the nitrogen content measured in Martian meteorites. The analysis of products was performed by gas chromatography coupled to infrared and mass spectroscopy. Eleven hydrocarbons were identified among the products, of which acetylene (C(2)H(2)) was the most abundant. A thermochemical model was used to determine which hydrocarbons could arise only from volcanic heat. In this case, acetylene and ethylene are formed at magmatic temperatures. Our results indicate that explosive volcanism may have injected into the atmosphere of early Mars approximately 6 x 10(12) g yr(-1) of acetylene, and approximately 2 x 10(12) g yr(-1) of 1,3-butadiyne, both produced by volcanic lightning, approximately 5 x 10(11) g yr(-1) of ethylene produced by volcanic heat, and 10(13) g yr(-1) of methane.

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Lightning Associated to Archean Volcanic Ash-Gas Clouds

Cited by 12 publications

References 80 publications

Sources of Nitrogen-, Sulfur-, and Phosphorus-Containing Feedstocks for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Planetary Environment

Sources of Nitrogen-, Sulfur-, and Phosphorus-Containing Feedstocks for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Planetary Environment

Corona Chemistry in Titan.

Production Of Low Molecular Weight Hydrocarbons By Volcanic Eruptions On Early Mars

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