<blockquote>
<p>Observations by many spacecraft that have visited Venus over the last
40 years appear to confirm the presence of lightning storms in the
Venus atmosphere. Recent observations by Venus Express indicate that
lightning frequency and power is similar to that on Earth. <strong>While
storms are occurring, energy deposition by lightning into Venus
atmospheric constituents will immediately dissociate molecules into
atoms, ions and plasma from the high temperatures in the lightning
column (&gt;30,000 K) and the associated shock waves and heating, after
which these atom and ion fragments of C,O,S,N,H-containing molecules
will recombine during cooldown to form new sets of molecules.</strong> Spark
and discharge experiments suggest that lightning
effects on the main atmospheric molecules CO2, N2, SO2, H2SO4 and H2O
will yield carbon oxides and suboxides (CO<sub>m</sub>, C<sub>n</sub>O<sub>m</sub>), sulfur oxides
(S<sub>n</sub>O, S<sub>n</sub>O<sub>m</sub>), oxygen (O2), elemental sulfur (S<sub>n</sub>), nitrogen oxides (NO,
N2O, NO2), sulfuric acid clusters (H<sub>n</sub>S<sub>m</sub>O<sub>x</sub><sup>−</sup>.aH<sub>n</sub>S<sub>m</sub>O<sub>x</sub> e.g. HSO<sub>4</sub><sup>−</sup>.mH<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>),
polysulfur oxides, carbon soot and other exotic species. While the
amounts generated in lightning storms would be much less than that
derived from photochemistry, during storms these species can build up
in a small area and so their local concentrations may increase
significantly. [...]</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Source</strong>: M.L. Delitsky, K.H. Baines, Storms on Venus: Lightning-induced chemistry and predicted products, Planetary and Space Science, Volumes 113–114, 2015,Pages 184-192, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0032063314003973" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10.1016/j.pss.2014.12.005</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-16T09:37:13.177Z
2020-12-16T09:37:13.177Z
Nilay Ghosh
<p><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/venus-20071128.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">It is established that lightning occurs on Venus due to the presence of sulfuric acid clouds</a>. Does this constant electric discharges and possible electrolysis affects the composition of the clouds on Venus for instance, sulfuric acid dissociating into ions like hydrogen ions, sulfate/bisulfate ions or decomposing into sulfur oxides or changing to other sulfur oxoacids?</p>
<p>There was a <a href="https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/38242/could-h%E2%82%82s%E2%82%82o%E2%82%88-peroxydisulfuric-acid-made-in-the-clouds-of-venus-be-used-for-m">question on space.SE</a> that discussed if peroxydisulfuric acid (H<sub>2</sub>S<sub>2</sub>O<sub>8</sub>) created due to electrolysis of concentrated sulfuric acid (from the lightning) can be used as a propellant fuel. If the species is indeed formed in the atmosphere, how abundant is it? How much of this species is present in the atmosphere?</p>
<p>Does lightning on Venus change/affect the chemical composition of the clouds? Does it affect <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/2559.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the sulfur cycle of Venus</a> in any way (so that it could create more exotic sulfur species)?</p>

<planetary-atmosphere><venus><astrochemistry>
Does lightning on Venus affect the chemical composition of the clouds?
Nilay Ghosh
# Does lightning on Venus affect the chemical composition of the clouds?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-19)

[It is established that lightning occurs on Venus due to the presence of sulfuric acid clouds](https://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/venus-20071128.html). Does this constant electric discharges and possible electrolysis affects the composition of the clouds on Venus for instance, sulfuric acid dissociating into ions like hydrogen ions, sulfate/bisulfate ions or decomposing into sulfur oxides or changing to other sulfur oxoacids?

There was a [question on space.SE](https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/38242/could-h%E2%82%82s%E2%82%82o%E2%82%88-peroxydisulfuric-acid-made-in-the-clouds-of-venus-be-used-for-m) that discussed if peroxydisulfuric acid (H2S2O8) created due to electrolysis of concentrated sulfuric acid (from the lightning) can be used as a propellant fuel. If the species is indeed formed in the atmosphere, how abundant is it? How much of this species is present in the atmosphere?

Does lightning on Venus change/affect the chemical composition of the clouds? Does it affect [the sulfur cycle of Venus](https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/2559.pdf) in any way (so that it could create more exotic sulfur species)?

**Tags:** planetary-atmosphere, venus, astrochemistry


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2020-12-16. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

> Observations by many spacecraft that have visited Venus over the last
> 40 years appear to confirm the presence of lightning storms in the
> Venus atmosphere. Recent observations by Venus Express indicate that
> lightning frequency and power is similar to that on Earth. **While
> storms are occurring, energy deposition by lightning into Venus
> atmospheric constituents will immediately dissociate molecules into
> atoms, ions and plasma from the high temperatures in the lightning
> column (>30,000 K) and the associated shock waves and heating, after
> which these atom and ion fragments of C,O,S,N,H-containing molecules
> will recombine during cooldown to form new sets of molecules.** Spark
> and discharge experiments suggest that lightning
> effects on the main atmospheric molecules CO2, N2, SO2, H2SO4 and H2O
> will yield carbon oxides and suboxides (COm, CnOm), sulfur oxides
> (SnO, SnOm), oxygen (O2), elemental sulfur (Sn), nitrogen oxides (NO,
> N2O, NO2), sulfuric acid clusters (HnSmOx−.aHnSmOx e.g. HSO4−.mH2SO4),
> polysulfur oxides, carbon soot and other exotic species. While the
> amounts generated in lightning storms would be much less than that
> derived from photochemistry, during storms these species can build up
> in a small area and so their local concentrations may increase
> significantly. [...]

**Source**: M.L. Delitsky, K.H. Baines, Storms on Venus: Lightning-induced chemistry and predicted products, Planetary and Space Science, Volumes 113–114, 2015,Pages 184-192, [10.1016/j.pss.2014.12.005](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0032063314003973)


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