Whiff of Life?

Science magazine is reporting today that Mars Express (pictured above, CREDIT:ESA) may have found a signature of current bacterial life on Mars. They found traces of methane that has one of two different sources, volcanoes or (current!) life.

At a press conference in Paris held earlier this month, Formisano reported finding spectral emissions of methane around a wavelength of 3.3 micrometers. "We have seen methane on Mars," he tells Science. "A very little amount, but the result is clear." Even the apparent concentration of 10.5 parts per billion "is extremely interesting from a scientific point of view," he says, "because you need a source for methane." Otherwise, any methane in the martian atmosphere would be destroyed by solar radiation within a few hundred years.

Either of the two possible sources for martian methane would be noteworthy. It could be oozing out of the interior of the planet through erupting or even quiescent volcanoes, or through hot springs. No sign of such ongoing activity has turned up yet in remote sensing from orbit, although Mars apparently erupted lavas as it cooled into the geologically recent past (Science, 4 August 2000, p. 714).

The other possibility is the Holy Grail and World Cup of astrobiology combined. Bacteria could be living somewhere deep beneath the apparently sterile surface, perhaps chewing on the rock and spewing methane as a byproduct. "I have no reason to exclude one origin or the other," says Formisano. "I can only say we see methane."

Comments

[Jason]

Now that would be interesting a group of Martian bacteria clinging on to life. It could just be left over volcanic activity but mars appears to be pretty dead in term of that. I wouldn't be surprised if they found bacteria on mars, as it is the most earth like of any planet and probably was even more earth like in the past. Bacteria are pretty tough things and the only limitation for life on earth seems to be liquid water in some form. There are bacteria that can grow in temperatures greater than the boiling point of water and there are some that can grow in temperatures well bellow freezing. Some can withstand great doses of radiation and as a group they can use lots of different compounds as energy sources to grow with. The only thing they can not stand is lack of water and mars is very much a cool dry place and even then they can form spores and wait centuries for moisture.

I wonder what sorts of application alien bacteria would have. How would they help us and how would they harm us. Too bad beagle 2 was lost. It was geared to search for life on mars.