Methane Plumes

Methane Plumes on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover and orbital spacecraft have repeatedly detected mysterious methane spikes in Mars' atmosphere—a gas often linked to biological activity on Earth. These seasonal plumes, recorded in Gale Crater and elsewhere, suggest active subsurface sources, as methane breaks down quickly under solar radiation. While geological processes like serpentinization could produce it, the irregular bursts keep alive the tantalizing possibility of microbial life. With no definitive explanation yet, these methane emissions remain one of Mars' most compelling clues in the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life.