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Discovery of Methane Indicates Potential for Life on Mars
NASA and University scientists are reported to have detected methane in the atmosphere of Mars, indicating that the planet is in a state of biological or geological activity.
Using spectrometers mounted on infra-red telescopes based on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the team observed the Martian Atmosphere for three years. The team have successfully identified the spectral signature of methane at a number of ‘activity hotspots’ on the planet’s surface.
"Methane is quickly destroyed in the Martian atmosphere in a variety of ways, so our discovery of substantial plumes of methane in the northern hemisphere of Mars in 2003 indicates some ongoing process is releasing the gas," said Michael Mumma of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "At northern mid-summer, methane is released at a rate comparable to that of the massive hydrocarbon seep at Coal Oil Point in Santa Barbara, Calif." Mumma is lead author of a paper describing this research.
"Right now, we do not have enough information to tell whether biology or geology -- or both -- is producing the methane on Mars," Mumma said. "But it does tell us the planet is still alive, at least in a geologic sense. It is as if Mars is challenging us, saying, 'hey, find out what this means.' "
Methane, is the principal component of natural gas, comprises one Carbon and four Hydrogen atoms. Methane has a boiling point of -161ºC, meaning that even on Mars it is a gas at ‘room temperature’. Temperatures on Mars range form -140ºC in winter to +20ºC in the summer.
"We observed and mapped multiple plumes of methane on Mars, one of which released about 19,000 metric tons of methane," reported co-author Geronimo Villanueva of the Catholic University of America in Washington. "The plumes were emitted during the warmer seasons, spring and summer, perhaps because ice blocking cracks and fissures vaporized, allowing methane to seep into the Martian air."
The atmosphere of Mars is made up mostly of Carbon Dioxide (95%) with small amounts of Nitrogen (2.7%), Argon (1.6%), and Oxygen (0.13%), amongst other gases which resemble the constituent parts of the atmosphere on Earth.
The early life forms that existed on Earth paved the way for man's existence by taking the gases and converting them into our protective benign atmosphere. Given the gestation period of Plant Earth (at least 1 billion years between the planet’s formation and first life on the surface), it is likely that we are witnessing the planet Mars in the very early stages of becoming. Martian evolution could take the form of the putting in place of the necessary building blocks required to facilitate life such as a breathable protective atmosphere, elevated temperatures and a supply of fresh water.
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