Impact Metamorphism of Subsurface Organic Matter on Mars: a Potential Source for Methane and Surface Alteration
نویسندگان
چکیده
Introduction: Reports of methane in the Martian atmosphere have spurred speculation about sources for that methane [1-3]. Discussion has centered on cometary/ meteoritic delivery, magmatic/mantle processes, UVbreakdown of organics, serpentinization of basalts, and generation of methane by living organisms. This paper describes an additional possibility: that buried organic remains from past life on Mars may have been generating methane throughout Martian history as a result of heating associated with impact metamorphism.
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