Venus Was Wet: A Measurement of the Ratio of Deuterium to Hydrogen

Abstract

The deuterium-hydrogen abundance ratio in the Venus atmosphere was measured while the inlets to the Pioneer Venus large probe mass spectrometer were coated with sulfuric acid from Venus' clouds. The ratio is (1.6 +/- 0.2) x 10(-2). The hundredfold enrichment of deuterium means that at least 0.3 percent of a terrestrial ocean was outgassed on Venus, but is consistent with a much greater production.