[meteorite-list] Methane detected in meteorites adds fuel tolife on Mars theories

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 19:19:01 -0500
Message-ID: <725475.32483.bm_at_smtp119.sbc.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

Bob, List,

The table may be set, but the diners
are not in evidence. Early Mars may
have had any amount of methane, but
the analysis of Martian rocks (in the
form of Martian meteorites), shows a
rough equality of the Carbon-13 isotope
with the Carbon-12 isotope.

Life has a preferential appetite for
Carbon-12. It will be depleted if Life has
been munching on or in the Martian
subsurface (or surface).

The enigmatic possible life fossils in
Martian meteorites (the only Martian
rocks we know) also show a rough
equality of Carbon-13 with Carbon-12
in them.

IF (which I doubt) they are the signs of
Martian life, that Life is not the same
as life-as-we-know-it. All Earthly fossils,
of whatever age, show a preferential
depletion of Carbon-12.

I find the idea of a carbon-based life
with a preference for a different isotope
even more unlikely, chemically unlikely.
Particularly only one planet away. Two
entirely different schemes of life?

So, I have to give up on the idea of any
Martian life, from microbes to thoats.
Shame. Thoats are neat... And microbes
have potential.

Speaking as an ex-microbe.


Sterling Webb
------------------------------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Meteorite-list [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On
Behalf Of Robert Verish via Meteorite-list
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 6:10 PM
To: Meteorite Central; Shawn Alan
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Methane detected in meteorites adds fuel
tolife on Mars theories

Here is a link to the actual abstract/paper:

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150616/ncomms8399/full/ncomms8399.html

"Evidence for methane in Martian meteorites" - by
 Nigel J. F. Blamey,
 John Parnell,
 Sean McMahon,
 Darren F. Mark,
 Tim Tomkinson,
 Martin Lee,
 Jared Shivak,
 Matthew R. M. Izawa,
 Neil R. Banerjee
 & Roberta L. Flemming

ABSTRACT:
"The putative occurrence of methane in the Martian atmosphere has had a
major influence on the exploration of Mars, especially by the implication of
active biology. The occurrence has not been borne out by measurements of
atmosphere by the MSL rover Curiosity but, as on Earth, methane on Mars is
most likely in the subsurface of the crust. Serpentinization of
olivine-bearing rocks, to yield hydrogen that may further react with
carbon-bearing species, has been widely invoked as a source of methane on
Mars, but this possibility has not hitherto been tested. Here we show that
some Martian meteorites, representing basic igneous rocks, liberate a
methane-rich volatile component on crushing. The occurrence of methane in
Martian rock samples adds strong weight to models whereby any life on Mars
is/was likely to be resident in a subsurface habitat, where methane could be
a source of energy and carbon for microbial activity."

In other words, the subsurface of Mars is like a dining table with all of
the necessary settings and the food ready and waiting.
Another title for this post could read as, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

Enjoy the read,
Bob V.
http://meteorite-recovery.tripod.com/2010/mar10.htm

--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 6/18/15, Shawn Alan via Meteorite-list
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:

 Subject: [meteorite-list] Methane detected in meteorites adds fuel to life
on Mars theories
 To: "Meteorite Central" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
 Date: Thursday, June 18, 2015, 3:22 PM
 
 Hello Listers
 
 I think the question is when will life be detected, I have a hunch and
think there was life on Mars in the past, it comes down to proof :)
 
 Enjoy
  Shawn Alan

 ------------------------
 CTVNews.ca Staff
 Published Thursday, June 18, 2015 10:48AM EDT?
 
 A team of Canadian, Scottish and U.S. researchers says they have
discovered traces of methane in meteorites from Mars -- a possible clue in
the search for life on the Red Planet.
 
 The researchers examined samples from six Martian meteorites that had
fallen to Earth. The team crushed the rocks and then analyzed the gases
that emerged using a mass spectrometer.
 
 The meteorites were found to contain gases similar to the composition of
the Martian atmosphere; they also contained methane.
 
 LINK:
 
http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/methane-detected-in-meteorites-adds-fuel-to-l
ife-on-mars-theories-1.2428568
 
 
Received on Fri 19 Jun 2015 08:19:01 PM PDT