Mars keeps the scientists on their toes, as there is always some new interesting aspect being discovered. The newest phenomenon was noticed through a series of spectroscopy readings from several telescopes located in Hawaii, which identified, over a certain period of time, some changes in the composition of the planet’s atmosphere. According to these observations, the Martian summer led to large releases of methane, which were observed in three separate regions of the planet. The question now is whether the source of the methane is geological or biological.

NASA prepared a press conference to present the details of the study and the information will also be available in the journal Science. The scientists used spectometers placed on the large Hawaiian telescopes available and conducted the observations over a period of several years. The spatial resolution, composed of two dimensions, was obtained by taking samples from multiple pixels along the north-south axis and also through the rotaion of the planet. The details of Mars’ atmosphere were obtained after substracting the absorption peaks from the gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere. According to the report, during winter time, the spectrum for methane read zero. As soon as summer arrived in the northern hemisphere, methane production was observed in three distinct areas, adding up to 19,000 metric tons of methane - at its peak, this represents a production rate of over a half-kilogram of a second. 

It is still uncertain what causes these releases. The mentioned areas are all known to have had liquid water in the past, but that’s as far as the similarities between them go, making it difficult to set a pattern. The researchers noted that Nili Fossae presents hydrated minerals, Terra Sabae has sub-surface hydrogen and Syrtis Major shows some sort of volatile-rich substance. Some areas inside these regions could share the same geochemistry to a certain extent.

The possibility of a connection between any sort of volcanic activity and the gasses has been ruled out, as the planet is tectonically dead and there is also no sign of sulfur dioxide.

The most enthusiastic alternative is the one about  a biological source. The authors of the research explained that this could indeed be the explanation, bringing into discussion the fact that bacteria can survive at the bottom of the South African mines. Water can release hydrogen as a result of radioactive activity, and the bacteria reacts to this hydrogen with carbon dioxide, releasing energy, with methane as a byproduct.

Unfortunately, any one of these processes is likely to take place several kilometers down, which means that there will not be any way of getting a sample and confirming it in the near future. The good news of the finding is that Mars remains without a doubt an active planet. For now, the scientist will wait for the next Martian summer, and if the event happens again, several scenarios will be put away and they will be able to focus on just a few strong sources.