Likelihood of methane-producing microbes on Mars

Joseph D. Miller; Marianne J. Case; Patricia Ann Straat; Gilbert V. Levin

doi:10.1117/12.862230

7 September 2010 Likelihood of methane-producing microbes on Mars

Joseph D. Miller, Marianne J. Case, Patricia Ann Straat, Gilbert V. Levin

Proceedings Volume 7819, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XIII; 78190I (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.862230
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We present a likelihood estimate that methane was a significant component of the gas detected by the Labeled Release (LR) experiment in the Viking Mission to Mars of 1976. In comparison with terrestrial methanogen production of methane we estimate the size of the putative microbe population necessary to produce the LR gas, had it been primarily methane. We extrapolate that figure to estimate the number of methanogens necessary to produce the methane content of the Martian atmosphere. Next, we estimate the amount of Martian soil and the amount of water needed for that global population of microbes. Finally, assuming a globally distributed population of such microbes, we estimate the likely sub-surface depth at which such methanogens could be detected.

Citation Download Citation

Joseph D. Miller, Marianne J. Case, Patricia Ann Straat, and Gilbert V. Levin "Likelihood of methane-producing microbes on Mars", Proc. SPIE 7819, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XIII, 78190I (7 September 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.862230

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