Methane Detected In Martian Atmosphere

March 31st 2004 at 2:42 pm

This Spacedaily.com article announces that methane has been detected in the martian atmosphere, a big deal because methane disappears easily, and must be constantly be put back into the atmosphere for it to be discovered. Spacedaily says:

There are some problems with trying to understand the history of methane and other greenhouse gases on Mars. There is no evidence on Mars of large limestone deposits from the first billion years, which would be directly linked to large amounts of C02, a greenhouse gas.

Methane — which can be created naturally by volcanic eruptions or produced by primitive life — thus may be a missing piece of the puzzle to finding out if organic remnants might once have sustained a primordial Mars. The last period of active volcanism on Mars is well before the last 300 years that methane can survive in the martian atmosphere of today.

I’m fascinated.

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