Diffusion of Methane through Martian Regolith Simulant

Statistics – Methodology

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Scientific paper

Recent observations with ground-based observatories and the Mars Express spacecraft have been made of methane in the Martian atmosphere with abundances varying from 0 to 35 ppb. The variable concentrations and a short lifetime of 340 years, based on gas-phase chemistry calculations, argue for an indigenous source of the methane. If the source of the methane is subsurface (either though volcanism, biology, or clathrate) the gas must diffuse through the crust. Studying this diffusion can result in a preliminary understanding of the conditions present in the crust. That is, as the pore space available for diffusion becomes filled by water ice, methane migration through it may be restricted, causing the methane to diffuse horizontally until a dry region (with larger pore spaces) is reached where vertical migration resumes. The object of the current work is to characterize the diffusion coefficient to better understand locations of potential sources. A series of experiments where methane is introduced into a column of Martian regolith simulant at different temperatures and pressures will be discussed. The regolith simulant consists of particles with a size and shape distribution consistent with MER measurements; simulants with a range of ice concentrations are examined. The experimental setup and methodology are described, and first results are reported.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Diffusion of Methane through Martian Regolith Simulant 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 Diffusion of Methane through Martian Regolith Simulant, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Diffusion of Methane through Martian Regolith Simulant will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1856076

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.