Thermodynamic modelling of clathrate hydrates in the atmosphere of Mars

International audienceThe papers deals with the stability at low temperature and low pressure in the atmospheric conditions of March, that means a gas composition mainly dominated by CO2 plus low concentration of Argon and Nitrogen and traces of gases as methane. The paper is mainly based on the data compilation from Fray et al (2011) for pure gases equilibriums. We fit the classical van der Waals approach to compare deviation. It reveals to be acceptable and allows to simulate a Martian gas of CO2 dominated (95.3%) plus nitrogen (2.7%) and Argon (2%). The hydrate reveals to be a CO2 based hydrate which is unstable during Mars summer and stable during Mars winter time (at temperature below 154K). The proportion of methane in the hydrate is evaluated and reveals to be one fourth of the composition of the gas phase