NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover has made the most surprising revelation that methane is seeping from the surface of Gale Crater. Since scientists did not find any signs of current or ancient life on Mars, they did not expect the gas to be present there, as living creatures produce most methane.

NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover has made the most surprising revelation that methane is seeping from the surface of Gale Crater. Since scientists did not find any signs of current or ancient life on Mars, they did not expect the gas to be present there, as living creatures produce most methane. While SAM (Sample Analysis Mars) or the portable laboratory on Curiosity has detected traces of the gas near the surface of the Gale Crater, the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter found no methane in the atmosphere of the Red Planet. Furthermore, Gale Crater is the only place on Mars where traces of methane have been found, likely due to geological mechanisms involving water and rocks deep underground. Methane also exhibits unexpected behaviour in Gale Crater by appearing at night and disappearing during the day, fluctuating seasonally, and sometimes spiking 40 times higher than usual. In March, a NASA research group proposed a paper in the journal Geophysical Research: Planets, explaining why the gas behaves unexpectedly and is present in the Gale Crater. ALSO READ | Debris from rare 'super' explosion on Sun with four solar flares erupting simultaneously likely to hit Earth The "soil" on Mars comprises broken rock and dust. The study suggests that the solidified salt formed in the Martian regolith could seal methane underneath despite its origin. The methane could seep out as the temperature rises during warmer seasons or times of day, weakening the seal. Alexander Pavlov, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, led the research, which suggests that the gas could also erupt in whiffs when the seals crack under the pressure of a small SUV-sized rover. The origin of this hypothesis goes back to an experiment Pavlov conducted in 2017, which involved growing microorganisms in a simulated Martian permafrost infused with salt. While the microbe-growing results proved inconclusive, the researchers noticed that the top layer of the soil formed a salt crust as salty ice sublimated, turning from a solid to a gas and leaving the salt behind. The research team tested five samples of permafrost infused with varying concentrations of the salt perchlorate, widely present on Mars. They exposed each sample to different temperatures and air pressure inside a Mars simulation chamber. Periodically, they injected neon, a methane analogue, underneath the soil sample and measured the gas pressure below and above the surface. They found higher pressure under the sample, indicating the gas was trapped. Within three to 13 days, a seal formed under the Mars-like conditions only in samples with five to ten per cent perchlorate concentration. However, Curiosity has measured much higher concentration in Gale Crater. (With inputs from agencies)

Is methane seeping on Mars? NASA scientists explain unusual behaviour of gas on the Red Planet's Gale Crater

A recent study in the journal 'Nature Astronomy' claims that based upon the analysis of the clays found in one of the craters, it is possible that parts of Mars have been habitable for thousands or even a million years.

The Curiosity rover, during its exploration of the Gale Crater on Mars, used its onboard drill in 2016 to obtain these samples from the Martian surface.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mysterious-methane-detections-on-mars-baffle-nasa-scientists-395116">Mysterious methane detections on Mars baffle NASA scientists</a>

Researchers used the rover's onboard instruments to analyze the sample's X-rays and found a material consistent with so-called glauconitic clays, which indicate that for a period of time, the crater might have&nbsp;been habitable.&nbsp;

The site was thought to have contained an ancient lake some 10 billion years ago. Researchers believe that this lake which existed for up to 10 million years existed when Mars' atmosphere was thicker so liquid water could exist on the surface.&nbsp;

However, researchers were uncertain whether this lake would have had the right conditions neutral acidity and moderate temperature, conditions required for life to flourish.

Nevertheless, the presence of glauconitic clays remains is encouraging. They suggest that stable conditions could have existed on Mars for around a million years, with temperatures in the range of -3 to 15°C and water with a neutral pH.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-curiosity-rover-clicks-rare-shiny-clouds-on-mars-388591">NASA's Curiosity Rover clicks rare shiny clouds on Mars</a>

The study's lead author, Elisabeth Losa-Adams says that the presence of this clay mineral can be used as "a proxy" for stable conditions needed for life, as only such favourable conditions can give way to the formation of Glauconitic clay.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The presence of Gauconitic clays present a new potential insight as to how Gale Crater lake evolved, she added.

However, these glauconitic clays aren't evidence of life as such, only of habitability. Another NASA Mars Rover, Perseverance which is currently exploring the Jezero crater, is tasked with finding evidence of life on the Red Planet.&nbsp;

A recent study in the journal 'Nature Astronomy' claims that based upon the analysis of the clays found in one of the craters, it is possible that parts of Mars have been habitable for thousands or even a million years.

A recent study in the journal 'Nature Astronomy' claims that based upon the analysis of the clays found in one of the craters, it is possible that parts of Mars have been habitable for thousands or even a million years. The Curiosity rover, during its exploration of the Gale Crater on Mars, used its onboard drill in 2016 to obtain these samples from the Martian surface. Also read | Mysterious methane detections on Mars baffle NASA scientists Researchers used the rover's onboard instruments to analyze the sample's X-rays and found a material consistent with so-called glauconitic clays, which indicate that for a period of time, the crater might have been habitable. The site was thought to have contained an ancient lake some 10 billion years ago. Researchers believe that this lake which existed for up to 10 million years existed when Mars' atmosphere was thicker so liquid water could exist on the surface. However, researchers were uncertain whether this lake would have had the right conditions neutral acidity and moderate temperature, conditions required for life to flourish. Nevertheless, the presence of glauconitic clays remains is encouraging. They suggest that stable conditions could have existed on Mars for around a million years, with temperatures in the range of -3 to 15°C and water with a neutral pH. Also read | NASA's Curiosity Rover clicks rare shiny clouds on Mars The study's lead author, Elisabeth Losa-Adams says that the presence of this clay mineral can be used as "a proxy" for stable conditions needed for life, as only such favourable conditions can give way to the formation of Glauconitic clay. The presence of Gauconitic clays present a new potential insight as to how Gale Crater lake evolved, she added. However, these glauconitic clays aren't evidence of life as such, only of habitability. Another NASA Mars Rover, Perseverance which is currently exploring the Jezero crater, is tasked with finding evidence of life on the Red Planet.

Presence of clay on Mars points to the planet being habitable once: Study

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Is methane seeping on Mars? NASA scientists explain unusual behaviour of gas on the Red Planet's Gale Crater

Presence of clay on Mars points to the planet being habitable once: Study