Curiosity has Confirmed: METHANE on Mars soil!

Confirmed. Mars has a huge amount of methane. Curiosity’s on-board Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument recently detected the presence of methane gas on Mars. SAM is on the search for compounds of the element carbon, including methane, that are associated with life. The question still open is: Geological or Biological? With methane having already been detected in the Martian atmosphere, Curiosity was expected to detect the gas on the planet’s surface. But the variability of the methane Curiosity detected wasn’t expected.


www.space.com...

There’s growing buzz about data gleaned by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, specifically over the issue of methane detection on the Red Planet.

On one hand, methane can be geological in origin. But then there’s the prospect that the gas is biotic, or caused by living organisms — meaning it could be the gaseous residue of long-extinct microbes or even the output of Martian organisms alive and well today.

The next step is to monitor the methane levels over time to track variation. Chris McKay, space scientist and Mars specialist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, explains that, if the methane levels remain constant, “then this can be reconciled with normal processes and a meteoritic source of organics,” but “if it’s highly variable, then all bets are off.”

There is and is already well known the "variability" of the methane levels in martian atmosphere, that follow the martian seasons...

Another clue NASA.... for the final revelation...

Good find Arken

Looks like the "Guinea Pigs on Mars" post could have some truth!

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Methane can be used as a fuel, now there is a good reason to go there?

Originally posted by dowot
Good find Arken

Looks like the "Guinea Pigs on Mars" post could have some truth!

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Methane can be used as a fuel, now there is a good reason to go there?

Fuel? hemmm... No. Not a good reason to go there. Too expensive....

Even in our atmosphere there is methane.

Methane is made by.... living creatures....

reply to post by Arken

On one hand, methane can be geological in origin.

It could be proof of life, but they have covered all bases with this little disclaimer.

It would be great if they do find proof of life on Mars though.

reply to post by Arken


Hopefully this wont turn out to be simply generated by Volcanos. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for posting the story!

I thought this was already confirmed via mud volcanoes?

If its not liquid methane its...

Curiosity has Confirmed: METHANE on Mars soil!

False. Curiosity has not confirmed methane. But it is expected to.

If SAM does find organic material, the next step would be to determine the origin and the nature of preservation of the molecules.

"So there will certainly be methane at some level, possibly well below one part per billion," McKay said.

www.space.com...

reply to post by Phage

So there will certainly be methane at some level

But there will be methane right? so how far off could the OP be?

Originally posted by Phage

Curiosity has Confirmed: METHANE on Mars soil!

False. Curiosity has not confirmed methane. But it is expected to.

If SAM does find organic material, the next step would be to determine the origin and the nature of preservation of the molecules.

"So there will certainly be methane at some level, possibly well below one part per billion," McKay said.

www.space.com...

edit on 10/25/2012 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Well I guess it is how you look at it really.


Looks like they found but because it does not fit their belief system dismiss it. They don't want to say it because it would be proof of life. imo

Chizek said that there have been several claims of methane detection in the past decade, from Mars-orbiting spacecraft as well as telescopic observations from Earth. But those claims tend to be controversial, she said, because observations suggest that it’s varying in abundance on a very quick time scale, which is unexpected. Detecting methane on Mars could lead to evidence of life, as roughly 95 percent of the methane in Earth’s atmosphere is a product of biology, Chizek said. In her recent talk at the DPS meeting, she underscored the volume and significance of methane on Mars by using a very Earthly creature that produces the gas: cows. So how many cows would be required to equal the amount of methane that scientists have observed on Mars? "Depending on which observations I am looking at, that number is close to 5 million cows, or roughly 200,000 tons of methane production per year," Chizek reported.

As shown by many engaged in the methane-on-Mars issue, it is known that organics are falling onto the surface of Mars and that ultraviolet light produces methane from them, he told SPACE.com. "So there will certainly be methane at some level, possibly well below one part per billion," McKay said. "But what was surprising in the Mars Express results and the Earth-based observations was the variability," he added, referring to the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. "Methane on Mars should have a lifetime of 300 years and should not be variable. If it is variable, this is very hard to explain with present theory. It requires unexpected sources and unexpected sinks."

Originally posted by Arken
Confirmed. Mars has a huge amount of methane. Curiosity’s on-board Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument recently detected the presence of methane gas on Mars.

OK, where did you get this information from? I couldn't see any reference to it in the article you posted.

reply to post by Char-Lee

Looks like they found but because it does not fit their belief system dismiss it.

No.
Curiosity has not yet detected methane. The OP claims that it has.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Char-Lee

 

Looks like they found but because it does not fit their belief system dismiss it.

No.
Curiosity has not yet detected methane. The OP claims that it has.

Curiosity’s on-board Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument recently detected the presence of methane gas on Mars.

Researchers are understandably enthusiastic about Curiosity’s methane detection, but scientists discovered methane in the planet’s atmosphere back in 2003.

www....(nolink) /curiositys-detection-of-methane-on-mars-could-suggest-extraterrestrial-life-865/

can't get that link up but they have listed all their sources.

With methane having already been detected in the Martian atmosphere, Curiosity was expected to detect the gas on the planet’s surface. But the variability of the methane Curiosity detected wasn’t expected.

reply to post by Char-Lee

Your "source" ((nolink)) is in error. It made the same mistake which the OP did and references the same article.

From today.

www.spaceflight101.com...

It may be several Sols until we know.

Originally posted by Char-Lee
Looks like they found but because it does not fit their belief system dismiss it. They don't want to say it because it would be proof of life. imo

I don't understand your logic. Chris McKay of NASA says that he thinks Curiosity will detect methane molecules, and pointed out:

if the methane levels remain constant, “then this can be reconciled with normal processes and a meteoritic source of organics,” but “if it’s highly variable, then all bets are off.”

...Therefore, they are NOT dismissing it. Plus, methane on Mars DOES fit their "belief system". Why do you say it doesn't?