Planetary scientist Michael Mumma, a physicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who was among the first to detect methane in Mars atmosphere, said the new findings from the Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory means Mars has an unidentified mechanism for destroying methane, a process that occurs much faster than the 200 years or so that would be expected given the planets photochemistry. We think that if Mars Science Lab lasted long enough and made sufficient measurements at a regular cadence that it should, at some point, see methane, if indeed there is another release on the planet.
So far, we and other investigators have reported releases at several sites, several times much larger than the value reported by MSL, Mumma told Discovery News. If any of those releases are correct - and we expect future ones to occur - then some of that methane will make its way toward Gale Crater and MSL should in fact see an enhanced level, Mumma said.
Original URL: http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-missing-methane-curiosity-rover-msl-130919.htm
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