The researchers of the planets was very close to solving the riddle of methane on Mars. New calculations can help to explain why the Mars Rover “Curiosity” captures the rise of the level of methane in the Martian atmosphere during Northern summer on the planet. The idea is that as we move from winter to spring the sun’s heat begins to warm the soil, allowing the methane to seep from the ground into the atmosphere, says John Moors, planetross from York University in Toronto, Canada.
The detection of methane in the atmosphere of Mars is intriguing because chemical reactions must destroy the gas in approximately 300 years. His presence today suggests that the planet may have something that sends the gas to the atmosphere. Source may be geological processes, such as reactions between certain types of rocks and water, or, even more intriguingly, the burial of microbes or other life forms. Most of the methane in Earth’s atmosphere comes from living beings.
Where methane on Mars?
The answer, it seems, lies beneath the surface of Mars. Moores and his colleagues analyzed how methane can seep up through cracks and faults in the Martian soil, until you enter the atmosphere. The soil heating allows the gas to seep into the air, to show their research. Seasons on Mars is difficult, especially in the location of “Curiosity”, which is very close to the equator. But the high level of methane appears immediately after the warm season, indicating that heat is distributed in a downward direction and leads to the release of gas.
Scientists estimate that the amount of gas that goes into the atmosphere, that makes perfect sense with the measurements “Curiosity” held in the Gale crater. The ultimate source of methane, however, is still a mystery. But this work can help to explain the seasonal outflow of gas.
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