Evidence for life builds on Mars

skymania news

Tomorrow, I shall delegate myself the task of analysing their claims. The large methane gas detection, in the Martian atmosphere, is not due to meteorites and has been discovered throughout the planet - not near the Volcanic areas.

Conclusion.

Evidence points to minor biological life, in a simple form, still present on Mars and some argued possible plant life in regions. However, NASA and the European Space Agency are planning a joint venture to Mars to make "contact" with this so called biological life - more or less taking samples - and venturing to the allege possible plant life locations.

Sadly, not till 2018.

But, if there is life then human colonisation is out of the question.

Why would colonisation be out of the question? If we found an earth like planet I hope we would colonise it. I'm sick of people saying we'd contaminate the planet. Theres more chance there was life on Mars tens of thousands of years ago than there will be in the future. Whatever is there is a remnant from eons ago. Man after all is just another species. We could be the seeders of mars, panspermia. Biological life on mars may help in terraforming the planet. We could restore it to its former glory with enough time and technology. Now if there were giant sandworms and fremen living there that would be a different story. Muad Dib!!

reply to post by infinite

I think I read somewhere that there is another possibility, alteration of some ground components by sunlight and/or other radiation, but I do not have any knowledge of chemistry to think if that could or could not explain the presence of Methane.

MARS as Dune (Arrakis)?

Is This the martian Shai-Ulud worm?



And its Shell nearby...

The only alternative explanation now is that the gas is produced by volcanic rock reacting with water on Mars. But the UK team says that previous studies have ruled out volcanism as a cause.

Professor Colin Pillinger, of the Open University, who was behind Britain's ill-fated Beagle 2 mission to Mars in 2003, says he does not accept a volcanic explanation.

He points out that the plumes of methane announced by NASA in January are not being produced in areas where there are volcanoes. He told Skymania News: "Methane is a product of biology. For methane to be in Mars' atmosphere, there has to be a replenishable source.

Is Colin Pilinger just getting a little excited, or is it tru that the "only alternative explanation" has been debunked? If it has, I don't think it's too much to say they've pretty much found life indirectly, kind of like how they detect planets via wobble.

reply to post by ArMaP


There have been a few ideas going around as to why Mars has so much Methane, one idea suggests a geologic process, potentially involving volcanism or rust, but what I find fascinating is the amount of methane found, apparently the gas will deplete after years, yet it hasn't so it would suggest there is a source.... what that is, is unclear but I for one wouldn't rule out living organisms under the top soil (protected from radiation) causing the replenishment.

Methane on Mars

If life is on Mars then there is moral questions as to whether we should interfere, we could stop the evolution and essentially destroy an entire life system which could evolve into intelligent life.

reply to post by Haydn_17


Your right Haydn_17, but with man's curiosity and lack of morals we'd more than likely just colonize the planet, my thoughts go with the idea life is there in microbe form but much more lived there in the past, (vegetation ect) I don't have any proof of this it's just what I believe possible.

Serpentinization is the most likely culprit here. Water reacts with this ultramafic rock and kicks out a rock called serpentine and a molecular hydrogen (H2). This reacts with either carbon grains in the ground or carbon from the atmosphere that diffuses through the ground.

This is a process that takes place on Earth all the time and in conditions that can be replicated on Mars. This process would also account for the non uniformity in methane levels we see on Mars.


If this methane is biologic in origin then I'm pretty sure the organisms are long dead and the methane has just been stored in some methane hydrates and is slowly being released.

Methane lives for a short time in the Martian atmosphere so it must be being constantly replenished.

There are two possible sources: either active volcanoes, none of which have been found yet on Mars, or............. MICROBES......

LIFE!

ALIEN LIFE!

If there is life on Mars, it certainly hasn't jumped out and mugged for the Mars rovers' cameras like many people had hoped. And most scientists agree it probably won't. In fact, any critters that lurk on the red planet today would almost certainly be part of an underground organization that has defied long odds and the harsh realities of a very unfriendly world.

Originally posted by Imagir
There are two possible sources:

How can you be so sure?

or............. MICROBES......

You forgot to add... none of which have been found yet on Mars.

reply to post by Imagir


serpentinization is a process that can be actively pumping out methane today.

reply to post by ArMaP


ICE...
WATER...
and now METHANE...
meaning for "Occam Razor"....... LIFE!

The discovery of that HUGE presence of METHANE in MARS ATMOSPHERE is really a very great problem for all the scientists worldwide and...

ALSO for NASA NOW!



This is what Dr. MUMMA say:
"Right now, we don’t have enough information to tell if biology or geology -- or both -- is producing the methane on Mars," said Mumma. "But it does tell us that the planet is still alive, at least in a geologic sense. It's as if Mars is challenging us, saying, hey, find out what this means."
Seasonal release

"It could be occurring on Mars. In that case, we might expect the methane to be released only under regions that are volcanic districts," said Dr Mumma.

WHERE ARE ACTIVE VOLCANOS ON MARS?
THERE ARE NOT!

"On the other hand, there could be biology that's going on either very near the surface or deep below the permafrost layer.
NASA's Sushil Atreya describes the latest research on atmospheric activity on Mars:
"Then in order to release captured gases to the atmosphere one needs to access those sub-permafrost regions."

On Earth, there are organisms called methanogens - microbes that produce methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide. These organisms do not need oxygen to thrive, and they are thought to be the type of microbes that could possibly live on Mars.

source
www.nasa.gov... ... thane.html

www.esa.int...


To find areas of volcanic activity on Mars would be very simpler.
And NASA has not found absolutely nothing during all these years.

However do you think indeed that NASA says all what it knows?


[edit on 8-12-2009 by Imagir]

reply to post by Imagir


The volcanoes do not need to be active for serpentinization to occur

Originally posted by cowboys703
reply to post by Imagir

 

The volcanoes do not need to be active for serpentinization to occur

Serpentinization on Mars: Fairy tales for children.

reply to post by Imagir

If that is what you have to say to people that present other possibilities I think my discussion with you is over.

Originally posted by Imagir

Originally posted by cowboys703
reply to post by Imagir

 

The volcanoes do not need to be active for serpentinization to occur

Serpentinization on Mars: Fairy tales for children.

And sand worms isn't a fairy tale?

You are quickly becoming to me at least, a seriously negative force on these boards. Your theories are ludicrous and ridiculous. And then you have the gall to laugh at scientific study and call them fairy tales.

reply to post by ArMaP


Sorry for my irony, but what I would say is that:

In my opinion
Ice+water+methane=life.

Serpentinization is unreal (or very low probabilities than the first) because the plumes of methane were detected very far volcanic areas.

Originally posted by Imagir
Sorry for my irony, but what I would say is that:

OK, if you are sorry I return to the discussion.

In my opinion
Ice+water+methane=life.

Even if we accept that, I don't remember seeing any real proof of liquid water on Mars, so if that is the case then your "equation" is really lacking one of its elements.

Serpentinization is unreal (or very low probabilities than the first) because the plumes of methane were detected very far volcanic areas.

What do you know about serpentinization to say that?

It's true that serpentinization needs liquid water, but it can happen below the surface, where the probability of having liquid water is much higher than on the surface.

Edit to add: what we are missing in both possibilities is liquid water, so, as far as I can see it, there is no clear "winner" for now.

[edit on 8/12/2009 by ArMaP]