Frost-weathering on Mars - Experimental evidence for peroxide formation

The weathering of silicates by frost is investigated in relation to the formation of surface peroxides to which Viking biology experiment results have been attributed. Samples of the minerals olivine and pyroxene were exposed to water vapor at -11 to -22 C and resultant gas evolution and pH were monitored. Experiments reveal the formation of an acidic oxidant upon interaction of the mineral and H2O frost at subfreezing temperatures, which chemical indicators have suggested to be chemisorbed hydrogen peroxide. A model for the formation of chemisorbed peroxide based on the chemical reduction of the mineral by surface frost is proposed, and it is predicted that the perioxide would decay at high temperatures to H2O and adsorbed O, consistent with the long-term storage and sterilization behavior of the soil oxidants observed in the Viking Gas Exchange and Labeled Release experiments.