Greenhouse warming potential of a suite of gas species on early Mars evaluated using a radiative-convective climate model

Abstract

Abundant geomorphological and geochemical evidence of liquid water on the surface of early Mars during the late Noachian and early Hesperian periods needs to be reconciled with a fainter young Sun. While a dense CO2 atmosphere and related warming mechanisms are potential solutions to the early Mars climate problem, further investigation is warranted. Here, we complete a comprehensive survey of the warming potential of all known greenhouse gases and perform detailed calculations for 15 different minor gas species under early Martian conditions. We find that of these 15 species, H2O2, HNO3, NH3, SO2, and C2H4 cause significant greenhouse warming at concentrations of ~0.1 ppmv or greater. However, the most highly effective greenhouse gas species also tend to be more condensable, soluble and vulnerable to photolytic destruction. To provide a reference for future atmospheric evolution and photochemical studies, we have made our warming potential database freely available online.

arXiv comment14 pages, 12 figures, published in JGR Planets

References in corpus (12)

• Habitable Zones Around Main-Sequence Stars: New Estimates
• Global modelling of the early Martian climate under a denser CO2 atmosphere: Water cycle and ice evolution
• 3D modelling of the early Martian Climate under a denser CO2 atmosphere: Temperatures and CO2 ice clouds
• Warming early Mars with CO2 and H2
• Transient reducing greenhouse warming on early Mars
• A coupled model of episodic warming, oxidation and geochemical transitions on early Mars
• Tracing the fate of carbon and the atmospheric evolution of Mars
• Far infrared measurements of absorptions by CH4+CO2 and H2+CO2 mixtures and implications for greenhouse warming on early Mars
• A nitrogen-rich atmosphere on ancient Mars consistent with isotopic evolution models
• Linearized Flux Evolution (LiFE): A Technique for Rapidly Adapting Fluxes from Full-Physics Radiative Transfer Models
• H${}_2$O${}_2$-induced Greenhouse Warming on Oxidized Early Mars
• Prospects for water vapor detection in the atmospheres of temperate and arid rocky exoplanets around M-dwarf stars