Simulation of the Viking biology experiments: An overview

Summary Several ground-based investigations have been carried out since the Viking biology results were received from Mars. Many of these have resulted in reasonable simulations of the Martian data, using as analogues of Mars either strong oxidants, UV-treated materials, iron-containing clays, or iron salts. The ambiguity between the GCMS experiment, in which no organic compounds were found on Mars, and the Labeled Release experiment, in which added organics were decomposed, may well be accounted for by these simulations.