Metannas Can Muncule And Disappear From The Martian Surface, This Is The Cause

Illustration of methane findings on the Martian surface (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA Metana is one of the signs of life because living beings on Earth produce such gases. Therefore, when methane was detected on Mars, it was suggested that there was life there. Over the years, scientists for Mars Curiosity missions continued to study the various data obtained during the exploration. They continue to observe methane detected to know the source of the gas. Sample analysts on Mars (SAM), one of the Curiosity instruments in the form of a portable chemical laboratory, several times found gas tracks near Gale Crater surface. This gas is predicted to originate from a geological mechanism that is underground. However, data from SAM shows that there is a peculiar behavior of methane detected in the region. This gas only appears at night and will disappear during the day. This condition occurs seasonally and sometimes experiences a spike. The more puzzling thing is methane is not detected in the Martian atmosphere. This is evident after the European Space Agency (ESA) deployed the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The spacecraft did not find methane while observing the Martian atmosphere. The latest research group from NASA tried to examine methane found Curiosity. the group stated that methane was sealed under solid salt formed in Martian regolite so that its gas could disappear.

Suhu akan meningkat di siang hari, khususnya di musim panas. Hal ini membuat lapisan atas tanah membentuk kerak garam ketika es asin menyublim. Es asin yang padat itu pun akan berubah menjadi gas dan meninggalkan garam.Untuk membuktikan penelitian tersebut, kelompok penelitian NASA menyuntikkan analog metana ke sampel tanah. Mereka mengukur tekanan gas di bawah dan di atas tanah dan membuat gas seolah-olah terperangkap di bagian bawah.Dalam waktu 13 hari, permukaan yang dilapisi dengan garam padat memperlihatkan segel yang mirip seperti kondisi di Mars. Meski penelitian ini menunjukkan hasil yang cukup baik, para ilmuwan akan melakukan penelitian serupa dengan menggunakan sulfat.Para ilmuwan masih membutuhkan pengukuran metana yang lebih konsisten karena SAM hanya menemukan metana beberapa kali dalam setahun. Setelah mengumpulkan lebih banyak informasi, kelompok ilmuwan tersebut akan melakukan eksperimen lanjutan.