Comments on: Scientists resolve one Mars methane mystery

By: Mike Borgelt

Mike Borgelt — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 21:40:12 +0000

During the day convection transports methane away from the surface and the wind at higher levels above the surface blows it away from the crater and disperses it. At night, as the surface cools a temperature inversion forms very near the surface, cutting off convection and preventing momentum transport to the surface resulting in low to no wind speed so the methane concentration rises. I used to be a meteorologist. No big deal. You see the same thing with air pollutants on Earth.
I’m betting it is non biological in origin and is similar to an oil seep on Earth only it is just a gas instead of liquid and rate of seepage is pretty constant. Seasonal variations are likely related to seasonal variations in wind speed and convection also.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 21:16:56 +0000

In reply to Matthias. Matthias: You are asking the basic scientific question here. We do not know. We also cannot make assumptions about whether this is geological or biological. We do not yet know. And we likely won't know until we get there with better instruments or with human hands on the ground.

By: Matthias

Matthias — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 21:12:13 +0000

…concentrations of methane were much lower in the atmosphere during the day and significantly higher near the planet’s surface at night, as heat transfer lessens.

Bob (or any other reader): What kind of geological or other non-biological processes show a behavior to emit more methane when cold/dark?

Could some “mars-soil” store the methane temporarily and release it again in a day/night-cycle?