Scientists at a Canadian university have found a link between Mars鈥� rocky surface and methane in the planet鈥檚 atmosphere, akin to the ground 鈥渂reathing in and out.鈥�
Researchers believe a process in the planet鈥檚 subsurface controls how much methane is released into the atmosphere above Gale Crater, the location where NASA鈥檚 Curiosity rover landed.
The new study, led by John Moores, an associate professor at York University鈥檚 department of earth and space science and engineering, claims to have found evidence of the connection.
鈥淭his study shows that the methane seen by the Curiosity rover likely originates in the subsurface of Mars,鈥� Moores said in a statement.
鈥淲e are also able to explain a likely mechanism for producing the seasonal cycle in methane levels that the Curiosity rover has recorded.鈥�
In the new study, researchers developed a computer model of the movement of methane through the subsurface and compared how much methane found its way into the atmosphere to the amount measured by Curiosity.
Previous research has shown that the amount of methane varies from season to season at Gale Crater. There is more methane in the atmosphere when it is warmer and less when it is cooler.
鈥淲e were a little stumped at first as to why you would have that variation,鈥� Moores told 麻豆传媒 Channel Sunday.
鈥淏ut it turns out that it looks like it鈥檚 the ground breathing in and out, so it鈥檚 actually an interaction with the soil that鈥檚 going on there.鈥�
Measurements from NASA鈥檚 Curiosity rover has hinted at reservoirs of the gas below the planet鈥檚 surface, a York University press release stated.
鈥淲hen it鈥檚 cold the methane sticks to that soil so most of it gets exhaled from the subsurface, and when it鈥檚 warm more gets emitted, it鈥檚 able to move through and into the atmosphere,鈥� Moores added.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 actually interaction between the ground and any reservoirs underneath the surface with the atmosphere itself.鈥�
Moores says until now, there has been no convincing explanation for how the seasonal cycle in methane came about.
鈥淲e expect these processes to operate on Mars because they certainly happen on the Earth, so it鈥檚 not surprising,鈥� Moores said.
鈥淲e were surprised however, by how well everything matched up once we started to change how the soil and the methane interacted with one another.鈥�
This new research provides a plausible mechanism for producing this effect and calculates how much methane needs to be involved, the university said.
鈥淥n the Earth most of the methane we have in the atmosphere comes from life,鈥� Moores told 麻豆传媒 Channel.
鈥淏ut on Mars it could be something else, we鈥檝e geological processes and other things going on there as well.鈥�
Moores said that with the work his team has done, he can鈥檛 exclude the possibility of life on Mars.
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of agnostic in the work that we did as to whether or not that鈥檚 where the methane is coming from,鈥� he said.
