KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

       

Methane on Mars - Part II

June 14-17, 2016
California Institute of Technology - Pasadena, CA 91125

Final Report

Workshop Overview:

In the first workshop of the “Methane on Mars” study program, we identified the search for environments possessing redox gradients (the fundamental energy source for life) as a guiding scientific goal for Mars exploration in the 2020’s. The detections of methane are tantalizing due to its reducing nature in an extremely oxidizing environment. Moreover, its observed variabilities indicate the existence of significant processes beyond our current understanding. Many decades of intensive research and exploration have yielded a detailed and comprehensive understanding of homogeneous (i.e. gas phase only) processes in the Martian atmosphere. Hence, the missing knowledge likely lies in heterogeneous, surface, and/or subsurface processes. We also know that Mars’ atmosphere and surface conditions/mineralogy are predominantly oxidizing, and the subsurface is far more likely to harbor redox-gradient environments. Together, these conclusions point to the surface/near-surface as our present knowledge frontier on Mars, and advancing our understanding of the Martian subsurface as the grand scientific challenge.

Advancing our knowledge frontier deeper into Mars requires new measurement methodologies (based on well-established terrestrial methodologies in, e.g., hydrocarbon exploration, geobiology, and geochemistry) and enabling technological advancements. The second workshop (in June, 2016) will focus on defining such enabling measurement and technological concepts.


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Think Tank, Room 155 - Keck Center, Caltech

Time
Event
Speaker

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and Refreshments

9:00 - 9:45

Logistics, Participant Self-Introductions

Michele Judd

9:45 - 10:15

Brief Summary of Workshop 1 & Workshop 2 Objectives

Team Leads

10:15 - 10:45

Break

10:45 - 11:30

Topical Lecture: NOMAD and Exploration of Habitability on Mars

Ann C. Vandaele

11:30 - 12:00

Interim Group Report: Coupled Geodynamical-Geochemical Modeling Research Seminar: Geodynamical Redox Modeling for Mars

Vlada Stamenkovic

12:00 - 1:30

Lunch at the Athenaeum

1:30 - 2:15

Topical Lecture: Atmospheric Distribution of Methane on Mars

Sébastien Viscardy

2:15 - 2:30

Interim Group Report: Potential Scenarios of ExoMars Findings

Michael Wong

2:30 - 2:45

Interim Group Report: Earth-Analog Exploration & Laboratory Investigations

Charles Miller

2:45 - 3:00

Interim Group Report: Seepage

Giuseppe Etiope

3:00 - 3:15

Interim Group Report: Technology

Armin Kleinboehl

3:15 - 3:45

Break

3:45 - 4:25

Topical Lecture: Updates from TLS-MSL

Chris Webster

4:25 - 5:00

Organize Breakout Groups, Lightning Talks, Final Report Outline

Plenary

5:30

Happy Half Hour and Dinner at the Athenaeum


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and Refreshments

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics & Goals for Today

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 9:40

Topical Lecutre: Seepage

Ron Klusman

9:40 - 10:00

Topical Lecture: Potential Martian Seepage Structures and Mineral Proxies

Dorothy Oehler

10:00 - 10:15

Seepage Q&A and Discussions

Dorothy Oehler

Ron Klusman

10:15 - 10:45

The Aliso Canyon Gas Leak Incident: Measuring Episodic Methane Emission in a Dynamic Athmosphere

Sally Newman

10:45 - 11:15

Break

11:15 - 11:30

Interim Group Report: Near Surface & Surface Sinks & Sources

Michael Mischna

11:30 - 11:45

Interim Group Report: Dust & Heterogeneous Chemistry: The Multi-Phase Problem

Yuk Yung

11:45 - 12:30

Lightning Talks

All

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 4:00

Breakout Groups

All

4:00 - 4:30

Break

4:30 - 5:30

Breakout Groups and Plenary Discussions

All

6:00

Optional No Host Dinner in Pasadena


Thursday, June 16, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and Refreshments

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics & Goals for Today

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 10:30

Lightning Talks and Plenary Discussions

All

10:30 - 11:00

Break

11:00 - 12:30

Breakout Groups

All

12:30 - 2:00

Free Time / Lunch on Your Own

2:00 - 4:00

Breakout Groups

All

4:00 - 4:30

Break

4:30 - 5:30

Breakout Groups and Plenary Discussions

All

6:00

Dinner at the Athenaeum (spouses and special guests)


Friday, June 17, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and Refreshments

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics & Goals

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 10:30

Plenary Discussion on Final Report Organization, Outline of Illustrations, and Information Dissemination

All

10:30 - 11:00

Break

11:00 - 11:30

Plenary Wrap-Up

All

11:30 - 12:00

Workshop Overview and Path Forward

Michele Judd

12:00 - 1:00

Informal Lunch at the Institute

1:00

Workshop concludes


Workshop Participants:

  • Sushil Atreya - University of Michigan
  • Patrick Beckett - JPL/Caltech
  • Jennifer Blank - NASA Ames Research Center - Blue Marble Space
  • Pin Chen - JPL/Caltech
  • John Eiler - Caltech Campus
  • Giuseppe Etiope - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
  • Greg Ferry – Pennsylvania State University
  • Peter Gao - Caltech Campus
  • Renyu Hu - JPL/Caltech
  • Armin Kleinboehl - JPL/Caltech
  • Ron Klusman - Colorado School of Mines
  • Charles Miller - JPL/Caltech
  • Michael Mischna - JPL/Caltech
  • Mike Mumma - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Kenneth Nealson - USC
  • Dorothy Oehler – NASA-Johnson Space Center
  • Mitchio Okumura - Caltech Campus
  • Radu Popa – River Road Research
  • Michael Russell - JPL/Caltech
  • Linhan Shen - Caltech Campus
  • Barbara Sherwood Lollar - University of Toronto
  • Vlada Stamenkovic - Caltech Campus
  • Alexis Templeton – University of Colorado Boulder
  • Ann C. Vandaele – Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
  • Sébastien Viscardy - Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
  • Chris Webster - JPL/Caltech
  • Michael Wong - Caltech Campus
  • John Worden – JPL/Caltech
  • Yuk Yung – Caltech Campush

Workshop Presentations

Giuseppe Etiope

Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia

Gas Seepage Working Group Report Out
(3.6 MB .pdf)

Ronald W. Klusman

Colorado School of Mines (Emeritus)

Gas Seepage on Earth: Experience with microseepage measurements, flux detection and indirect indicators
(5.0 MB .pdf)

Mike Mumma

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The Science Driver: Active Release of Methane
(51.6 MB .pdf)

Ann C. Vandaele

Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

NOMAD and the Exploration of Habitability on Mars
(4.26 MB .pdf)

Sebastien Viscardy

Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

Atmospheric Distribution of Methane on Mars
(1.6 MB .pdf)

Michael Wong

Caltech

Potential Scenarios
(2.7 MB .pdf)

Yuk Yung et al.

Caltech

Dust and Heterogeneous Chemistry
(1.5 MB .pdf)

Yuk Yung - Caltech Campus

Pin Chen - JPL/Caltech

Kenneth Nealson - USC

Methane on Mars: In Search of Habitability
(92 KB .pdf)