No detection of SO2, H2S, or OCS in the atmosphere of Mars from the first two Martian years of observations from TGO/ACS

<strong>Context.</strong> The detection of sulphur species in the Martian atmosphere would be a strong indicator of volcanic outgassing from the surface of Mars. <br><strong> Aims. </strong>We wish to establish the presence of SO2, H2S, or OCS in the Martian atmosphere...

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Main Authors: Braude, AS, Montmessin, F, Olsen, KS, Trokhimovskiy, A, Korablev, OI, Lefevre, F, Fedorova, AA, Alday, J, Baggio, L, Irbah, A, Lacombe, G, Forget, F, Millour, E, Wilson, CF, Patrakeev, A, Shakun, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2022
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Summary:<strong>Context.</strong> The detection of sulphur species in the Martian atmosphere would be a strong indicator of volcanic outgassing from the surface of Mars. <br><strong> Aims. </strong>We wish to establish the presence of SO2, H2S, or OCS in the Martian atmosphere or determine upper limits on their concentration in the absence of a detection. <br><strong> Methods. </strong>We perform a comprehensive analysis of solar occultation data from the mid-infrared channel of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite instrument, on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, obtained during Martian years 34 and 35. <br><strong> Results. </strong>For the most optimal sensitivity conditions, we determine 1σ upper limits of SO2 at 20 ppbv, H2S at 15 ppbv, and OCS at 0.4 ppbv; the last value is lower than any previous upper limits imposed on OCS in the literature. We find no evidence of any of these species above a 3σ confidence threshold. We therefore infer that passive volcanic outgassing of SO2 must be below 2 ktons day−1.