Is There Methane on Mars?

Details Is There Methane on Mars? Is There Methane on Mars?

Oct 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010dps....42.3017z&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #30.17; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.1030

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

There have been several reports of methane on Mars at the 10-30 ppbv level. The most compelling of these also suggest that martian methane is both seasonally and latitudinally variable. We review why variable methane on Mars is physically and chemically implausible, and then we critically review the published reports. We use the HITRAN database to generate synthetic terrestrial and martian spectra encompassing the frequencies of the published observations. These reveal significant competing telluric and martian spectral features that are most problematic in just those cases where methane's signature seems most clearly seen. The most compromised observations are of the 12CH4 v3 R0 and R1 lines seen in blueshift (obtained when Mars was approaching Earth in early 2003). For these the Doppler shift moves the two martian lines into near coincidence with telluric 13CH4 v3 R1 and R2 lines that are 20-50 times stronger than the inferred martian lines. The best cases among the published datasets are also of the 12CH4 v3 R0 and R1 lines, but observed in redshift when Mars was receding from Earth. For these observations and analyses are consistent with no methane on Mars at the 3 ppbv level. We therefore conclude that the upper limit is on the order of 3 ppbv.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Is There Methane on Mars? does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Is There Methane on Mars?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Is There Methane on Mars? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1122858