Does Martian Methane Matter?

The gas known as methane is known to exist throughout the universe. Most of the stuff on Earth is made through various biological processes. Methane is in places where it is accepted that there is no life, just as the gas giants in our own solar system. When it was detected on Mars, people got excited, thinking that it may be the product of life.

Gale Crater on Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona (slightly modified)

Many evolutionists think that Mars is the most likely place in our solar system outside of Earth to have life. They play the odds, even though the odds have been greatly reduced. (For that matter, the chances against life on Mars are a million to one.) Biblical creationists generally dismiss the idea of life elsewhere in the universe because of scientific reasons against evolution, and more importantly, from scriptural interpretations. The Bible doesn't flat-out say that there's nobody home out there, but that's the most likely interpretations. It's not a hill I'm willing to join a Cavalry charge to die on, though. But the biblical reasoning is sound.

"Spikes" or "explosions" in methane on Mars have gained attention. Were they caused by some kind of life? Maybe instrument errors (the measurements gave results of seven parts per billion), or some other sources. Does it matter?

Much of the earth’s methane (natural gas) originates from biological activity. That is, most methane on earth comes from the biochemistry of living things. If life on earth arose naturally as most evolutionists think, then life ought to have arisen elsewhere in the universe. Hence scientists today increasingly look for signs of life elsewhere in the universe. Within the solar system, Mars appears most promising for life outside of the earth, so much attention has been given to the search for biogenic markers, such as methane, on Mars.

Methane was first detected on Mars about 15 years ago, though in minute quantities. However, some of those earlier measurements have been controversial, and the measurements have varied from source to source. Furthermore, not all methane is biogenic. There are recognized sources of methane on earth that have nothing to do with living things. And methane is common throughout the universe. Methane is present in the atmospheres of the gas giant planets in our solar system. Astronomers have detected methane in comets. The atmosphere of Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn and the only planetary satellite with an atmosphere, contains methane. In fact Titan may have lakes of methane on its surface. We even find methane in gas clouds between the stars. For the most part, scientists do not think that the methane found elsewhere in the universe is the result of living things. Hence, the discovery of methane on Mars ought not to be surprising, nor should it be taken as evidence of life.

You can read the rest by clicking on "A Methane Explosion on Mars—Evidence for Life?" You may also want to check out "Mars Methane is Not Alive".