Primordial argon isotope fractionation in the atmosphere of Mars measured by the SAM instrument on <i>Curiosity</i> and implications for atmospheric loss.

The resulting value of 36 Ar/ 38 Ar = 4.2 ± 0.1 is highly significant for it provides excellent evidence that “Mars” meteorites are indeed of Martian origin, and it points to a significant loss of argon of at least 50% and perhaps as high as 85–95% from the atmosphere of Mars in the past 4 billion years.

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