Detection of methane in the atmosphere of Mars.
We report a detection of methane in the martian atmosphere by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer onboard the Mars Express spacecraft. The global average methane mixing ratio is found to be 10 +/- 5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv). However, the mixing ratio varies between 0 and 30 ppbv over the planet. The source of methane could be either biogenic or nonbiogenic, including past or present subsurface microorganisms, hydrothermal activity, or cometary impacts.
Formisano
Vittorio
V
Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario INAF-IFSI, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy. formisan@nike.ifsi.rm.cnr.it
Atreya
Sushil
S
Encrenaz
Thérèse
T
Ignatiev
Nikolai
N
Giuranna
Marco
M
D001105:Archaea; D001272:Atmosphere; D001419:Bacteria; D018559:Exobiology; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D006859:Hydrogen; D018535:Mars; D019110:Meteoroids; D008697:Methane; D011312:Pressure; D018531:Spacecraft; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions; D014867:Water
D014867:Water; D006859:Hydrogen; D008697:Methane