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Unexpected increase of the deuterium to hydrogen ratio in the Venus mesosphere

Vandaele, Ann Carine; Robert, Séverine; Chamberlain, Sarah +14 more

Studying Venus's HDO and H₂O sheds light on its water history. The HDO/H₂O ratio in its bulk atmosphere, 120 times Earth's, suggests a significantly wetter past for Venus. Our study analyzes mesospheric (70 to 110 km) temperature, H₂O, and HDO profiles taken in solar occultation by SOIR/Venus Express. We observe in…