The Art Neuro Weblog

It's Fart-Gas Jim, But Not As We Know It
The ESA reports that methane in the Martian atmosphere and water vapor overlap. This in of itself doesn't mean much except that methane breaks down under UV light, so if there's methane now, there must be a fresh source for and ergo, there must be some kind of organic reaction going on, which suggests life.

New in-depth analysis of PFS data also confirms that methane is not uniform in the atmosphere, but concentrated in some areas. The PFS team observed that the areas of highest concentration of methane overlap with the areas where water
vapor and underground water ice are also concentrated. This spatial correlation between water vapor and methane seems to point to a common underground source.

Initial speculation has taken the underground ice layer into account. This could be explained by the 'ice table' concept, in which geothermal heat from below the surface makes water and other material move towards the surface. It would then freeze before getting there, due to the very low surface temperature (many tens of degrees Celsius below zero). Further investigations are needed to fully understand the correlation between the ice table and the presence and distribution of water vapour and methane in the atmosphere.

So, it's not life, it's not fart gas, it's just something that might be rising from the depths of the planet. But there are eternal optimists it might be life.

- Art Neuro