The Red Planet is a rich source of perchlorates—chemical compounds used in fertilizer and rocket fuel that are rarely formed naturally on Earth. Now, lab experiments suggest how the unusual compounds are created on Mars: from the electrical fields formed by global dust storms, as well as whirlwinds known as dust devils.
For more than 5 years, scientists have surmised that perchlorates are relatively common on Mars, thanks to evidence from the Phoenix Mars lander and the Curiosity rover. On Earth, the chemical reactions that generate these compounds are typically powered by sunlight. But models of atmospheric chemistry suggest mere sunlight isn’t enough to do the trick on Mars. Instead, they indicate that strong electric fields, such as those created by static electricity in global dust storms, could break down gases in the martian atmosphere and thus drive perchlorate-generating reactions.
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