Published October 10, 1980
| public
Journal Article
Photochemical Production of Formaldehyde in Earth's Primitive Atmosphere
Abstract
Formaldehyde could have been produced by photochemical reactions in Earth's primitive atmosphere, at a time when it consisted mainly of molecular nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Removal of formaldehyde from the atmosphere by precipitation can provide a source of organic carbon to the oceans at the rate of 10^(11) moles per year. Subsequent reactions of formaldehyde in primeval aquatic environments would have implications for the abiotic synthesis of complex organic molecules and the origin of life.
Additional Information
© 1980 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Received for publication 7 February 1980. Revision received 17 June 1980. One of us (J.P.P.) thanks J. C. G. Walker for many helpful discussions. We also thank M. Allen, F. P. Fanale, G. L. Kok, C. B. Moore, J. S. Lewis, and J . J. Morgan for their useful comments. J.P.P. is a NASA National Research Council resident research associate. This work was also supported in part by NASA contract NSG-7376 under the Planetary Atmospheres Program. Contribution 3357 of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 49495
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20140909-105824380
- NSG-7376
- NASA
- Created
-
2014-09-09Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Name
- Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 3357