Mars has been a subject of curiosity for years, but what has made the planet resurface as an area of interest is the observation of methane plumes in its atmosphere.  In addition, the methane is decomposing at a rate greater than that from known photochemistry and this has led to speculation as to the identity of the sink. One hypothesis is the oxidation of methane by perchlorates adsorbed on the Martian soil.  We examined this hypothesis by reacting methane with perchloric acid that had been adsorbed on a Martian soil simulant (JSC Mars-1) and examining gas-phase products by mass spectrometry and changes to the soil simulant, including surface-bound products, by diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy.   The identity of these products will be discussed along with whether the hypothesis that adsorbed perchloric acid is oxidizing methane on Mars is valid.

Reaction of methane with perchloric acid adsorbed on a Martian soil simulant

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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