There are still so many unanswered questions about the Red Planet, but over the past years, our hopes went wild at the mere thought of proving that life on this planet was or may still be possible. After receiving the confirmation of water presence on Mars, NASA has also announced the first definitive detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere.

 

This latest confirmation is of great importance in the quest of establishing Mars’ habitability, but it is also an indication that the planet might be geologically active. Methane, which is the main component of natural gas, can be produced either through geological processes, or through biological ones, by microorganisms.

 

Michael Mumma of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center explained that methane is quickly destroyed in the Martian atmosphere, so the discovery of substantial plumes of methane in the northern hemisphere in 2003 suggests that there is an ongoing process of releasing the gas on this planet.

 

The only problem is that it is still hard to say what the source of the methane is. But, at the end of the day, the most important factor in this puzzle is the confirmation that the planet is still alive, whether from a geological or a biological point of view.

 

In Earth’s early history, volcanic processes were responsible for releasing enormous quantities of methane into the atmosphere.  In present times, methane is also known to be produced by the conversion of iron oxide into the serpentine group of minerals.

 

So which of these sources could also be present on Mars? From what we know so far, there is no clear evidence of active volcanism, but scientists suggested that a conversion process could also be possible on Mars, in the presence of water, carbon dioxide and the planet’s internal heat. In addition to that, another theory suggests that ancient methane could still be trapped today in ice cages called clathrates, and that it is still being released now.

 

Another theory suggests that methane could be produced through biological processes, just like on Earth. Mumma explained that just like on our planet, Mars could also be hosting microorganisms below its surface, where liquid water can be naturally found, and where radiation can supply them with energy.

 

Furthermore, he explained, gases - like methane - accumulated in such underground zones might be released into the atmosphere if pores or fissures open during warm seasons, connecting the deep zones to the atmosphere at crater walls or canyons.

 

Dr. Carl Pilcher, Director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, explained that just as on Earth, where microbes produced methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, on Mars life – if it ever existed – might have been involved in similar processes.

 

Unfortunately, the answers to all these questions are not likely to be found very soon, NASA suggested. It will take several missions, such as NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, to complete the necessary tests and identify the origin of the methane.