LARRY KLAES
Thu, 24 Feb 2005 13:17:04 -0800
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Our weekly Science News magazine TV show "Catatlyst" here in Oz screened a
"world exclusive" which explained the life on Mars theory of Vittorio Formizano
- Mars Express has picked up signs of formaldehyde and in such quantities that
it can only be from chemically altered methane seeping out of the soil. Since
formaldehyde has an atmospheric life of just 7 hours lots of methane is involved
in oxidation reactions producing it. Five million of tons of methane per year,
far more than current estimates of likely present-day volcanism.
Formizano is convinced it can only be biogenic... ...the reporting was fairly restrained letting Formizano explain the data and the implications. Combined with the Mars Express locality data on methane and water it almost seems like a slam dunk. The reporter actually acknowledged it was tentative and could be reinterpreted, but that seems less likely with every new water site on Mars. |