A prime suspect for the formation of the atmosphere

Abstract

The chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere can be defined by the Ne/N2, H2O/N22 and CO2/ N2 ratios deduced from the total amounts of these four volatiles in the atmosphere. The same volatiles are released by hydrous-carbonaceous micrometeorites upon frictional heating as to generate a micrometeoritic model atmosphere. Its composition is inferred from the weight % contents of Ne, N2, H2O and carbon that were measured in about 500 Antarctic micrometeorites from the 100-200 μm size fraction. The composition of the micrometeoritic atmosphere was thus found to be strikingly similar to that of our blue planet. © Springer 2006.