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    Methane on Mars Workshop 2009

    Programme, Presentations and Abstract book


    Workshop on Methane on Mars:
    Current Observations, Interpretation and Future Plans


    25-27 November 2009
    ESA/ESRIN in Frascati, Italy
     
    Contact point: owitasserssd.esa.int

    Direct link to this page:
    http://sci.esa.int/marsmethane2009
     

    Group photo of the attendees at the Methane on Mars workshop 2009

    This page holds the workshop programme. The presentations given at the workshop are now available in PDF format. They can be downloaded by clicking on the corresponding "PDF" link in the programme table below, in the right-most column.

    The workshop abstract book can be downloaded by clicking on the image to the right (PDF file, 6.3 Mb).

    For the complete workshop details, please see the workshop home page linked from the right-hand menu.

       Download the workshop abstract book in PDF format
(6.3 Mb)
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    Download the
    Abstract book


    Wednesday 25 November 2009

    Registration & Welcome
       
    09:00-10:00 Registration, posters set up, coffee
    09:45-10:00 Welcome and opening (ESA, ASI)
    Session 1: Observations of methane from orbit
       
    Moderator: O. Witasse
    The ESA/NASA ExoMars Programme
    Coradini, M.
    PDF
    10:00-10:35 Methane observations with PFS-MEX: an introductory historical overview, multiline observations and limb measurements (solicited)
    Formisano, V.
    PDF
    10:35-10:50 PFS-MEX: Mapping methane in Martian atmosphere
    Geminale, A.
    Note: Presentation not available. Please contact A. Geminale and/or V. Formisano.
    -
    10:50-11:05 Spatial distribution and temporal evolution of methane in the Martian atmosphere
    Fonti, S.
    PDF
    Session 2: Ground-based observations of methane
       
    Moderator: O. Witasse
    11:05-11:25 Absolute measurements of Methane on Mars (solicited)
    Mumma, M.
    PDF
    11:25-11:45 Methane and water on Mars: Maps of active regions and their seasonal variability (solicited)
    Villanueva, G.
    PDF
    11:45-12:15 Coffee break
    12:15-12:35 Measurement of the isotopic signatures of water on Mars: implications for studying methane (solicited)
    Novak, P.
    PDF
    12:35-12:40 Poster presentation (3 minutes):
    High Spectral resolution heterodyne spectroscopy of methane at 7.8 µm
    Sonnabend, G. (Poster 1)
    PDF
    Session 3: Martian surface and subsurface data, and laboratory measurements relevant to the study of methane
    Moderator: C. Webster
    12:40-12:55 Mapping ice deposits on Mars through subsurface radar sounding (solicited)
    Orosei, R.
    PDF
    12:55-13:15 Morphology and Mineralogy of Methane Source Regions (solicited)
    Wray, J.
    PDF
    13:15-13:30 The search for methane gas emission features in Nili Fossae, Syrtis Major, and Isidis Planitia, Mars
    Komatsu, G.
    PDF
    13:40 Lunch
    14:50-15:15 Surface conditions from thermodynamics of phyllosilicates and implications for the presence of methane on early Mars (solicited)
    Chevrier, V.
    PDF
    15:15-15:35 Laboratory investigation of the role of heterogeneous processes in Martian methane variability (solicited)
    Gough, R.
    PDF
    15:35-16:25 Discussion on the data sets available (from orbit, ground-based measurements, laboratory measurements, other data sets of interest)
    16:25-16:55 Coffee break
    Session 4: Origin of Martian methane
       
    Moderator: S. Atreya
    16:55-17:20 Methane and the Martian Habitability (solicited)
    Atreya, S.
    PDF
    17:20-17:40 Production on Mars by photolysis of H2O in the presence of CO (solicited)
    Bar-Nun, A.
    PDF
    17:40-18:00
    Methanogenesis in Terrestrial Permafrost: a Model for Methane Sources on Mars? (solicited)
    Wagner, D. · Cancelled talk ·
    -
    18:00-18:20 Methane Sources and Sinks: The geobiology of the Arctic versus Mars (solicited)
    Onstott, T.
    PDF
    18:20-18:25 Poster presentation (3 minutes):
    Abiotic methanogenesis carbonate reduction by hydrogen-bearing fluids: a mechanism for Martian methane
    Lazar, C. (Poster 2)
    PDF
    18:30-19:30 Welcome reception


    Thursday 26 November 2009

    Session 5: Storage, release, and delivery of methane
       
    Moderator: V. Chevrier
    09:00-09:15 Methane reservoirs on Mars: A story of migration, gas hydrates, traps, and a long production cycle
    Ori, G.
    PDF
    09:15-09:35 Methane Emissions from Earth's Degassing: a Reference for Mars (solicited)
    Etiope, G.
    PDF
    09:35-09:50 Methane hydrates: A source for slow methane release on Mars? (solicited)
    Elwood-Madden, M.
    PDF
    09:55-10:15 Metastable Methane Clathrate Particles as a Source of Methane to the Martian Atmosphere (solicited)
    Chassefière, E.
    PDF
    10:15-10:25 Poster presentations (3 minutes each):
    The trapping of methane in Martian clathrates hydrates
    Thomas, C. · Cancelled ·
    -
    Variability of Atmospheric Methane Induced by Adsorption in the Regolith
    Meslin, P.-Y. (Poster 4)
    PDF
    10:25-11:00 Discussion on origin, storage, release, and delivery of methane
    11:00-11:30 Coffee break
    Session 6: Atmospheric circulation and chemistry
       
    Moderator: F. Forget and F. Lefèvre
    11:30-11:50 Challenges raised by the observed variations of methane on Mars (solicited)
    Lefèvre, F.
    PDF
    11:50-12:05 A short-Lived Trace Gas in the Martian Atmosphere: A General Circulation Model of the Likelihood of Methane
    Chizek, M. R.
    PDF
    12:05-12:20 Argon: The Mixing Standard for Methane in Mars Atmosphere
    Sprague, A. L.
    PDF
    12:20-12:35 The spatial and temporal variation of oxidant component in the Martian atmosphere observed by MEX/PFS
    Aoki, S.
    PDF
    12:35-12:50 Unusual CO behaviour in Martian atmosphere: a relation to methane?
    Formisano, V.
    PDF
    12:50-13:05 Photochemically induced formation of Mars-relevant oxygenates and methane from carbon dioxide and water
    Wecks, M.
    PDF
    13:05-13:25 Poster presentations (3 minutes each):
    The photochemistry and atmospheric lifetime of methane on Mars for evolving atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and the variability of the Mars planetary boundary layer (PBL) based on measurements from the Viking 1 and 2 landers, Mars Pathfinder and Phoenix
    Levine, J. (Poster 5)
    PDF
    Mars atmospheric circulation and chemistry detected in the submm domain
    Hartogh, P. · Cancelled ·
    -
    Search for important minor gases in Martian atmosphere
    Geminale, A. (Poster 7)
    PDF
    Search for hydrogen peroxide in the Martian atmosphere
    Formisano, V. (Poster 8)
    PDF
    Search of SO2 in the Martian atmosphere by ground-based submillimeter observation
    Nakagawa, H. (Poster 9)
    PDF
    The Formaldehyde Observation of 1969 and 1989: Analyses of the Observations and Proposals for Interpretation
    Muller, C. (Poster 10)
    PDF
    13:25-13:50 Discussion on the atmosphere circulation and chemistry
    13:50 Lunch
    Session 7: Microbial life, metabolism in water ice, and biological experiments under Martian conditions
    Moderator: B. Price
    14:55-15:15 Microbial Life in Ice: Habitats, Metabolism, and Survival on Mars (solicited)
    Price, B.
    PDF
    15:15-15:30 Methanogenesis on Earth Today: Where, Who and How
    Prieur, D.
    PDF
    15:30-15:45 The possibility of methane oxidation coupled to microbial perchlorate respiration
    Coates, J. D.
    PDF
    15:45-16:00 A sub-zero high Arctic methane seep: implications for Mars methane
    Whyte, L.
    PDF
    16:00-17:30 Coffee break and poster session

    List of posters:
    1. High Spectral resolution heterodyne spectroscopy of methane at 7.8 µm
    Sonnabend, G.
    PDF
    2. Abiotic methanogenesis carbonate reduction by hydrogen-bearing fluids: a mechanism for Martian methane
    Lazar, C.
    PDF
    3.
    The trapping of methane in Martian clathrates hydrates
    Thomas, C. · Cancelled ·
    -
    4. Variability of Atmospheric Methane Induced by Adsorption in the Regolith
    Meslin, P.-Y.
    PDF
    5. The photochemistry and atmospheric lifetime of methane on Mars for evolving atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and the variability of the Mars planetary boundary layer (PBL) based on measurements from the Viking 1 and 2 landers, Mars Pathfinder and Phoenix
    Levine, J.
    PDF
    6.
    Mars atmospheric circulation and chemistry detected in the submm domain
    Hartogh, P. · Cancelled ·
    -
    7. Search for important minor gases in Martian atmosphere
    Geminale, A.
    PDF
    8. Search for hydrogen peroxide in the Martian atmosphere
    Formisano, V.
    PDF
    9. Search of SO2 in the Martian atmosphere by ground-based submillimeter observation
    Nakagawa, H.
    PDF
    10. The Formaldehyde Observation of 1969 and 1989: Analyses of the Observations and Proposals for Interpretation
    Muller, C.
    PDF
    11. Growth and Biomediated Mineral Alterations by Methanogens under Geochemical Conditions Similar to the Martian Subsurface
    Chastain, B. K.
    PDF
    12. Determination of the surface concentrations of methane on Mars with MOMA
    Steininger, H.
    PDF
    13. Using Laser Heterodyne Radiometry to Search for Methane on Mars
    Passmore, R.L.
    PDF
    14. Robotic rigid vacuum airship for exploration of Mars
    Pahari, S.
    PDF
    15. Detecting and characterizing Martian dust using spectropolarimeter SPEX
    Stam, D.
    PDF
    16. Possible Influences of Aerosol Loading on the Measured Columns of Martian Atmospheric Constituents Including Methane
    Muller, C.
    PDF

    Dinner


    Friday 27 November 2009

    Session 7 (cont.): Microbial life, metabolism in water ice, and biological experiments under Martian conditions
    Moderator: B. Price
    09:00-09:20 Methanogens: A Model for Life on Mars (solicited)
    Kral, T.
    PDF
    09:20-09:35 Methanogenic Activity in Rio Tinto, a Terrestrial Analogue of Mars
    Amils, R.
    PDF
    09:35-09:50 Bacterial survival in Martian conditions
    Galletta, G.
    PDF
    09:50-10:05 Zero-Valent Iron on Mars: an Alternate Energy Source for Methanogens
    Chastain, B. K.
    PDF
    10:05-10:15 Poster presentation (3 minutes):
    Growth and Biomediated Mineral Alterations by Methanogens under Geochemical Conditions Similar to the Martian Subsurface
    Chastain, B. K. (Poster 11)
    PDF
    10:15-11:00 Discussion on microbial life
    11:00-11:30 Coffee break
    Session 8: Future measurements of methane, related trace gases, and isotopes
    Moderators: A. Chicarro and R. Zurek
    11:30-11:50 Future in situ methane and related trace gas and isotope measurements with the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite of the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) (solicited)
    Mahaffy, P.
    PDF
    11:50-12:10 Measuring Methane and its Isotopic Ratios 13C/12C and D/H With the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) on the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission (solicited)
    Webster, C.
    PDF
    12:10-12:25 Studying methane and other trace species in the Mars atmosphere using a SOIR instrument
    Drummond, R.
    PDF
    12:25-12:45 A New Mission Concept: The Search for Atmospheric Trace Gases in the Mars Atmospheric (solicited)
    Zurek, R.
    PDF
    12:45-13:05 Posters presentations (3 minutes each):
    Determination of the surface concentrations of methane on Mars with MOMA
    Steininger, H. (Poster 12)
    PDF
    Using Laser Heterodyne Radiometry to Search for Methane on Mars
    Passmore, R.L. (Poster 13)
    PDF
    Robotic rigid vacuum airship for exploration of Mars
    Pahari, S. (Poster 14)
    PDF
    Detecting and characterizing Martian dust using spectropolarimeter SPEX
    Stam, D. (Poster 15)
    PDF
    Possible Influences of Aerosol Loading on the Measured Columns of Martian Atmospheric Constituents Including Methane
    Muller, C. (Poster 16)
    PDF
    13:05-13:40 Discussion on future measurements
    13:40 Lunch
    14:50-16:00 General discussion, conclusions, closure of the symposium
    S. Atreya, F. Forget and O. Witasse

    Participants

    Last Update: 29 Mar 2011

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