In a fascinating revelation, NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected methane seeping from the surface of Mars’ Gale Crater, leaving scientists baffled and intrigued. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument aboard the rover has identified traces of methane, a gas predominantly produced by living organisms on Earth, in the Martian atmosphere. This gas behaves in unexpected ways, appearing at night and disappearing during the day, fluctuating seasonally, and sometimes spiking to levels 40 times higher than usual.
A recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets by a NASA research group proposes that methane, regardless of its origin, could be sealed under solidified salt in the Martian regolith. When temperatures rise during warmer seasons or specific times of the day, the salt seals weaken, allowing the methane to seep out.