Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater

MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1261713

Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater

MSL Science Team

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

211 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the Martian atmosphere that vary over monthly timescales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale Crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 ppbv at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet (UV) degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles (IDP’s) or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period, we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 (95% CI) ppbv implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source.

Original language	English
Article number	1261713
Pages (from-to)	415-417
Number of pages	3
Journal	Science
Volume	347
Issue number	6220
Early online date	23 Jan 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261713
Publication status	Published - 23 Jan 2015

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1261713Licence: Unspecified

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Profiles

F. J. Martin-Torres

School of Geosciences, Planetary Sciences - Personal Chair
Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Person: Academic

Cite this

MSL Science Team (2015). Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater. Science, 347(6220), 415-417. [1261713]. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261713

@article{4b40af9d6eca45d1aa7cae9f9e3dadbb,

title = "Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater",

abstract = "Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the Martian atmosphere that vary over monthly timescales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale Crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 ppbv at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet (UV) degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles (IDP{\textquoteright}s) or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period, we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 (95% CI) ppbv implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source.",

author = "Webster, {Christopher R.} and Mahaffy, {Paul R.} and Atreya, {Sushil K.} and Flesch, {Gregory J.} and Mischna, {Michael A.} and Pierre-Yves Meslin and Farley, {Kenneth A.} and Conrad, {Pamela G.} and Christensen, {Lance E.} and Pavlov, {Alexander A.} and Javier Martin-Torres and Mar{\'i}a-Paz Zorzano and McConnochie, {Timothy H.} and Tobias Owen and Eigenbrode, {Jennifer L.} and Glavin, {Daniel P.} and Andrew Steele and Malespin, {Charles A.} and Jr., {P. Douglas Archer} and Brad Sutter and Patrice Coll and Caroline Freissinet and McKay, {Christopher P.} and Moores, {John E.} and Schwenzer, {Susanne P.} and Bridges, {John C.} and Rafael Navarro‐Gonz{\'a}lez and Ralf Gellert and Lemmon, {Mark T.} and {MSL Science Team}",

year = "2015",

month = jan,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1126/science.1261713",

language = "English",

volume = "347",

pages = "415--417",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE",

number = "6220",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater

AU - Webster, Christopher R.

AU - Mahaffy, Paul R.

AU - Atreya, Sushil K.

AU - Flesch, Gregory J.

AU - Mischna, Michael A.

AU - Meslin, Pierre-Yves

AU - Farley, Kenneth A.

AU - Conrad, Pamela G.

AU - Christensen, Lance E.

AU - Pavlov, Alexander A.

AU - Martin-Torres, Javier

AU - Zorzano, María-Paz

AU - McConnochie, Timothy H.

AU - Owen, Tobias

AU - Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.

AU - Glavin, Daniel P.

AU - Steele, Andrew

AU - Malespin, Charles A.

AU - Jr., P. Douglas Archer

AU - Sutter, Brad

AU - Coll, Patrice

AU - Freissinet, Caroline

AU - McKay, Christopher P.

AU - Moores, John E.

AU - Schwenzer, Susanne P.

AU - Bridges, John C.

AU - Navarro‐González, Rafael

AU - Gellert, Ralf

AU - Lemmon, Mark T.

AU - MSL Science Team

PY - 2015/1/23

Y1 - 2015/1/23

N2 - Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the Martian atmosphere that vary over monthly timescales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale Crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 ppbv at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet (UV) degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles (IDP’s) or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period, we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 (95% CI) ppbv implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source.

AB - Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the Martian atmosphere that vary over monthly timescales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale Crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 ppbv at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet (UV) degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles (IDP’s) or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period, we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 (95% CI) ppbv implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1261713

DO - 10.1126/science.1261713

M3 - Article

VL - 347

SP - 415

EP - 417

JO - Science

JF - Science

SN - 0036-8075

IS - 6220

M1 - 1261713

ER -