How did moluculair oxygen devoleped on Mercury?

[2ossy]

Hello,
A question about the devolepment of oxygen on Mercury:

I learned that all the oxygen (O2) at our planet was formed by photosynthesis of bacteria.
So how could oxygen develop on mercury without life??

(Composition of the atmosphere of Mercury: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet ))

 

[qraal]

Hello,
A question about the devolepment of oxygen on Mercury:

I learned that all the oxygen (O2) at our planet was formed by photosynthesis of bacteria.
So how could oxygen develop on mercury without life??

(Composition of the atmosphere of Mercury: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet ))

The oxygen on Mercury is knocked off the rocks by high speed particles from the Sun. Only tiny amounts are present and are lost to space almost as quickly as they're made. Ultraviolet light can make oxygen by splitting up gases like carbon dioxide and water vapour, but the amount can't accumulate because the oxygen reacts with surface minerals. Only plants can continually replace what is lost to surface reactions - without their production Earth's oxygen would be depleted in a few million years.

 

[2ossy]

The oxygen on Mercury is knocked off the rocks by high speed particles from the Sun. Only tiny amounts are present and are lost to space almost as quickly as they're made.

Ok, but according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet ) Mercuries atmosphere exists 40% out of moluculair oxygen.

I know that wikipedia isn't allways right, but do you have a source that tells that Mercury have tiny amounts of oxygen?

 

[Jack21222]

Ok, but according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet ) Mercuries atmosphere exists 40% out of moluculair oxygen.

I know that wikipedia isn't allways right, but do you have a source that tells that Mercury have tiny amounts of oxygen?

Read your own source, Wikipedia tells you it has tiny amounts of oxygen.

 

[2ossy]

Read your own source, Wikipedia tells you it has tiny amounts of oxygen.

Wikipedia tells me 2 things about oxygen on Mercury. 1. Its in the atmosphere and 2. 40 % of the atmosphere is moluculair oxygen.

 

[Vanadium 50]

3 things. Atmospheric pressure = "trace"

 

[Vagn]

Mercury's 'atmosphere' is effectively non-existant, it has a pressure of around 10^-14 times that of Earth. Europa, Jupiter's moon has an 'atmosphere' thicker than that at 10^-12 bar.

 

[2ossy]

Ok, thanks for the explanation :)