On Thursday, scientists offered the first evidence of the fact that there is methane gas bursting from Mars. Although similar assumptions have been made since 2003, this is the first time when researchers discovered solid proof to support the idea.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt scientist and head of the research team, Michael J. Mumma, stated that, not only did scientists show that there is methane on the planet, but they were also able to draw maps of the “active regions of release.”

At the official press conference, Mumma stated that the most active areas regarding methane dissipation are located in the northern hemisphere of the planet. He added that the research team estimated the gas flow to a burst rate of 600 grams per second, after measuring the total amount of gas in the trails in Mars’ atmosphere.

This study, which was published on Thursday on the online version of the journal Science, is only a small part of the entire research project, which is based on continuous observations of the planet since 2001. Mumma said that the study published yesterday is based on observations made during the planet’s midsummer, but he pointed out that the research team is preparing other studies that will be published in the near future.

In order to confirm the data provided by the research, the next Mars rover mission, scheduled for launch this year, is equipped with a methane detector that spots the gas in the atmosphere at a concentration of  45 parts per trillion.