Methane 'belches' detected on Mars
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News, San Francisco

(BBC) Nasa's Curiosity rover has detected methane on Mars - a gas that could hint at past or present life on the planet.

The robot sees very low-level amounts constantly in the background, but it also has monitored a number of short-lived spikes that are 10 times higher.

Methane on the Red Planet is intriguing because here on Earth, 95% of the gas comes from microbial organisms.

Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence.

The Curiosity team cannot identify the source of its methane, but the leading candidate is underground stores that are periodically disturbed.

Curiosity scientist Sushil Atreya said it was possible that so-called clathrates were involved.

"These are molecular cages of water-ice in which methane gas is trapped. From time to time, these could be destabilised, perhaps by some mechanical or thermal stress, and the methane gas would be released to find its way up through cracks or fissures in the rock to enter the atmosphere," the University of Michigan professor told BBC News.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30456664


-- BBC 2014-12-17

Methane on the Red Planet is intriguing because here on Earth, 95% of the gas comes from microbial organisms.

Of course, it could imply there's beer and Mexican restaurants on Mars.

Clearly all the alien abductions of cows have been taken to supply dairy farms and steak houses on Mars.

Seems as if it is a possibility that Mars may well be the destination for this worlds politicians when they pass on, all that methane gas has got to come from somewhere.

How about searching for life on earth....

Any poms out there that remember this if it happened at all?

I find it hard to believe such an advanced race would impinge on the BBC!! - Why didn't they broadcast this to all countries?

Sure they don't mean Uranus?