Posted on 04/30/2005 6:34:08 PM PDT by Graybeard58
WASHINGTON -- For years, scientists searching for life on other worlds have concentrated on finding water. No creature on Earth, from whales to bacteria, can live without it.
But now they are also pursuing another line of evidence -- swamp gas.
Formally known as methane or natural gas, this common compound of carbon and hydrogen is produced by decaying vegetation, in coalmines, rice paddies and cows' stomachs, and by myriad of tiny microbes called methanogens. Even the world's trillions of termites pump out little puffs of methane when they consume wood.
The recent discovery of trace amounts of methane on Mars stirred hopes that it might be another signal that microbial life exists -- or once existed -- on the Red Planet.
"We have clear evidence that there is a source of methane on Mars," said Michael Mumma, an astrobiologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "We're going to test this as a search for other evidence (of life)."
The space agency and its European counterpart have scheduled an international "Methane-on-Mars" workshop next month. They want to figure out how to follow this tantalizing hint that the seemingly dead planet might still be biologically active.
Interest in methane is high because this gas, a fragile compound of one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen, is easily destroyed by the intense ultra-violet radiation raking the Martian surface.
Because methane's lifetime is short, scientists figure it must have been created within the last 300 years, implying that life may still exist -- or very recently existed -- on Mars.
"The presence of significant methane on Mars requires recent release from sub-surface reservoirs," said Mumma, who discussed his findings at an astrobiology conference in Boulder, Colo., this month.
There is a major problem, however. Although most of the methane on Earth is generated biologically, a significant amount -- perhaps as much as 20 percent -- comes from non-biological chemical reactions. Volcanoes, the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, and hot-water vents at the bottom of the oceans all produce quantities of methane.
Furthermore, huge amounts of non-biological methane are found on gaseous planets like Jupiter and Saturn. Frozen lakes of methane were detected this year on Saturn's moon, Titan. Comets are full of it.
Since living creatures are not the only way to generate swamp gas, scientists can't be sure how the Martian methane originated.
"We don't have a conclusion about its origin," Mumma admitted.
"Many different lines of evidence are going to be needed to convince people that it's biological," said Stephen Mojzsis, a geologist at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Because of this uncertainty, Norman Pace, a University of Colorado molecular biologist, warned researchers at the conference not to take the traces of methane on Mars as proof of life.
"This is not the smoking gun," he said.
Jonathan Telling, a geologist at the University of Toronto, said scientists might be able to distinguish between biological and non-biological methane on Mars by testing the carbon and hydrogen atoms in the gas. Each of these elements comes in a lighter and heavier form. On Earth, the lighter forms are generated by living organisms, the heavier ones by inorganic chemistry. Presumably the same thing could happen on Mars.
Tullis Onstott, a geoscientist at Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., has developed a device to measure the heavier and lighter forms of carbon and hydrogen in Martian methane. He wants to put his instrument on a future Mars rover, hoping to determine whether the gas is biological or non-biological in origin.
The Martian methane was detected in 2003 and 2004 by three separate observatories -- ground telescopes in Hawaii and Chile and a European space satellite. It was coming from at least five different locations.
The amounts were tiny -- from 10 to 200 parts of methane per billion parts of atmosphere -- compared to an average of 1,500 parts per billion on Earth. But that was enough to set off a new wave of excitement among those seeking extraterrestrial life.
Even IF they find methane on Mars there is absolutely NO proof that it isn't just residual residue from Michael Moore's time on Earth...
Oops....I meant to respond to the poster of the thread...
Fossil Records Show Methane In Seafloor Sediments (Global Warming)
Science Daily | 2-26-2003 | Woods Hole
Posted on 02/26/2003 11:23:11 AM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/852505/posts
Research Finds Life 1000 Feet Beneath Ocean Floor
spaceref.com | 3 Jan 03 | staff
Posted on 01/03/2003 9:00:10 AM PST by RightWhale
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/816303/posts
Newly found microbe can take a lot of heat
The Boston Globe | 08/15/03 | Carey Goldberg
Posted on 08/15/2003 6:33:29 AM PDT by bedolido
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/964639/posts
Unboilable bug points to hotter origin of life
The Guardian | Friday August 15, 2003 | Alok Jha, science reporter
Posted on 08/18/2003 5:46:43 PM PDT by gd124
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/966271/posts
Did Life Drip Down From Earth's Ancient Atmosphere ?
Source: spacedaily.com
Published: 17 oct 00 Author: STAFF
Posted on 10/25/2000 12:21:10 PDT by RightWhale
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39f732a6231b.htm
Open Letter to the Scientific Community
New Scientist | May 22, 2004 | see signatures
Posted on 03/28/2005 11:44:29 PM PST by Swordmaker
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1372828/posts
Potential oil supply refill?
Washington Times | 5/29/02 | Bruce Bartlett
Posted on 05/28/2002 11:32:25 PM PDT by kattracks
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/691074/posts
Scientist stirs the cauldron: oil, he says, is renewable
Boston Globe | May 22, 2001 | David L. Chandler
Posted on 11/19/2001 10:07:24 AM PST by Aurelius
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/574189/posts
Use the Force
The American Spectator | May/June 2002 | William Tucker
Posted on 06/02/2002 7:42:23 PM PDT by WarrenC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/693616/posts
We've Got Plenty Of Oil
Source: National Anxiety Center
Published: May ,2001 Author: Alan Caruba
Posted on 05/22/2001 08:34:49 PDT by tom paine 2
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b0a871914af.htm
The end of the age of oil?
WorldNetDaily.com | November 26, 2004 | Chris Bennett
Posted on 11/26/2004 8:52:56 AM PST by tvn
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1288843/posts
Red Planet's Ancient Equator Located
Scientific American (online) | April 20, 2005 | Sarah Graham
Posted on 04/24/2005 8:18:25 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1390424/posts
Hoagland says there is life there now and that is good enough for me.
Does Titan's methane origin come from decaying matter? The pundits say no. Scientist may have to rethink hydrocarbons.
Sure he isn't just passing gas? [/snicker]
It's Gas, Jim, but not as we know it...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.