Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published March 9, 1979 | public
Journal Article

Fixation of Nitrogen in the Prebiotic Atmosphere

Abstract

Reactions between nitrogen and water in the air surrounding lightning discharges can provide an important source of nitric oxide even under conditions where oxygen is a minor atmospheric constituent. Estimates are given for the associated source of soluble nitrite and nitrate. It is shown that lightning and subsequent atmospheric chemistry can provide a source of nitrate for the primitive ocean as large as 106 tons of nitrogen per year, sufficient to fill the ocean to its present level of nitrate in less than 10^6 years.

Additional Information

© 1979 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Received 4 August 1978; revised 13 November 1978. We thank S. C. Wofsy for helpful discussions. Supported by NSF contract NSF-ATM-75-22723 to Harvard University and NASA grant NSG 7376 to the California Institute of Technology. Contribution 3109 of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology.

Additional details

Created:
September 15, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023