Application of shock wave data to earth and planetary science

This paper presents results of shock devolatilization experiments which can be used in accretion calculations by taking into account an initial effective radiative temperature of Venus (390K), Earth (275K), and Mars (218K). The differing starting temperatures result from successively greater distance of the terrestrial planets from the Sun. As a result of shock devolatilization upon impacts of ca 3 km/sec, both CO2 and H2O form from material having volatile contents of 0.4 by weight. Due to the higher radiation temperature, H2 is preferentially lost from Venus versus the Earth as the atmosphere accumulates as a result of cratering of the atmosphere and hydrodynamic escape. In the case of Venus, the post accretional higher temperature can be modelled by assuming the same amount, 0.4x1021 kg of CO2 is in the atmosphere (90 bar) as is buried in the earth's crust