No detection of methane on Mars from early ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observations

Oleg Korablev (), Ann Carine Vandaele, Franck Montmessin, Anna A. Fedorova, Alexander Trokhimovskiy, François Forget, Franck Lefèvre, Frank Daerden, Ian R. Thomas, Loïc Trompet, Justin T. Erwin, Shohei Aoki, Séverine Robert, Lori Neary, Sébastien Viscardy, Alexey V. Grigoriev, Nikolay I. Ignatiev, Alexey Shakun, Andrey Patrakeev, Denis A. Belyaev, Jean-Loup Bertaux, Kevin S. Olsen, Lucio Baggio, Juan Alday, Yuriy S. Ivanov, Bojan Ristic, Jon Mason, Yannick Willame, Cédric Depiesse, Laszlo Hetey, Sophie Berkenbosch, Roland Clairquin, Claudio Queirolo, Bram Beeckman, Eddy Neefs, Manish R. Patel, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jose-Juan López-Moreno, Colin F. Wilson, Giuseppe Etiope, Lev Zelenyi, Håkan Svedhem and Jorge L. Vago
Additional contact information
Oleg Korablev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Ann Carine Vandaele: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Franck Montmessin: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Anna A. Fedorova: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Alexander Trokhimovskiy: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
François Forget: Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), CNRS Jussieu
Franck Lefèvre: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Frank Daerden: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Ian R. Thomas: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Loïc Trompet: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Justin T. Erwin: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Shohei Aoki: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Séverine Robert: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Lori Neary: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Sébastien Viscardy: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Alexey V. Grigoriev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Nikolay I. Ignatiev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Alexey Shakun: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Andrey Patrakeev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Denis A. Belyaev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Jean-Loup Bertaux: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Kevin S. Olsen: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Lucio Baggio: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Juan Alday: Oxford University
Yuriy S. Ivanov: Main Astronomical Observatory (MAO), National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Bojan Ristic: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Jon Mason: School of Physical Sciences, The Open University
Yannick Willame: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Cédric Depiesse: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Laszlo Hetey: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Sophie Berkenbosch: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Roland Clairquin: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Claudio Queirolo: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Bram Beeckman: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Eddy Neefs: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Manish R. Patel: School of Physical Sciences, The Open University
Giancarlo Bellucci: Instituto de Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF
Jose-Juan López-Moreno: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Colin F. Wilson: Oxford University
Giuseppe Etiope: Instituto de Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF
Lev Zelenyi: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Håkan Svedhem: European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA
Jorge L. Vago: European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA

Nature, 2019, vol. 568, issue 7753, 517-520

Abstract: Abstract The detection of methane on Mars has been interpreted as indicating that geochemical or biotic activities could persist on Mars today1. A number of different measurements of methane show evidence of transient, locally elevated methane concentrations and seasonal variations in background methane concentrations2–5. These measurements, however, are difficult to reconcile with our current understanding of the chemistry and physics of the Martian atmosphere6,7, which—given methane’s lifetime of several centuries—predicts an even, well mixed distribution of methane1,6,8. Here we report highly sensitive measurements of the atmosphere of Mars in an attempt to detect methane, using the ACS and NOMAD instruments onboard the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter from April to August 2018. We did not detect any methane over a range of latitudes in both hemispheres, obtaining an upper limit for methane of about 0.05 parts per billion by volume, which is 10 to 100 times lower than previously reported positive detections2,4. We suggest that reconciliation between the present findings and the background methane concentrations found in the Gale crater4 would require an unknown process that can rapidly remove or sequester methane from the lower atmosphere before it spreads globally.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1096-4

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