Who Is Producing Oxygen In Mars?

 

Scientists have found a strange thing on planet Mars atmosphere- that is a fluctuating oxygen level. Who is producing the oxygen in Mars atmosphere since it is a desolate planet without any plants and enough water where does the oxygen came from? NASA’s Martian rover is hard to discover this according to news because the rover is not intended to that kind of exploration.

“Scientists believe that the Curiosity rover's[Martian Rover] measurements are accurate and not a fluke. However, they're struggling to explain why oxygen levels would increase and decrease based on the Martian seasons. Now, they're wondering what could create oxygen on Mars.” (Sciencing)

Scientists suspected the producer of oxygen on planet Mars could be a very tiny or microscopic plants that is not similar to plants on planet Earth.

“On Earth, plants make up most of the oxygen in the air. However, Mars is a desolate planet without any obvious plant life. Its extreme temperatures and weather patterns make it hard to imagine that a common flower or shrub could survive in these conditions. It's possible a new type of plant that doesn't exist on Earth may be responsible for releasing oxygen on Mars during the warmer months. Considering that it hasn't been spotted, the plant may be tiny or even microscopic. In addition, it may not function or look the way plants do on Earth and may have an unusual structure that gives it the ability to survive harsh conditions. Hopefully, further exploration of the planet will provide more answers.” (Sciencing)

The changes on oxygen’s rates and activity according to news makes one realized that there is a source of it where it is originating; maybe biological, chemical, geological, or a mysterious source.

“That suggests something is making or unleashing stores of oxygen in the warmer months and trapping or swallowing it up during frigid ones. It could be a geological, chemical, atmospheric or, perhaps even a biological process, but right now, no one has the foggiest as to what the culprit actually is. And although the oxygen’s trampolining certainly appears to be a local feature, it might be a regional or even global peculiarity.” (Space)

“Oxygen’s too-high spikes and too-low nadirs during the warmer and colder months, respectively, came as a shock. Curiosity’s scientists could conceive of only two possibilities: either a mysterious creator and destroyer of oxygen existed on Mars that scientists were unaware of, or the measurements were wrong.” (Space)

This is not the first time scientists are flummoxed of Mars’ gases before it was the methane that gave scientists a mystery now it is Mars’ oxygen.

The scientists were struggling to explain the oxygen mystery on planet Mars; it could be that and that they theorize and explain.

The main point : Scientists are struggling anew on Mars’ gases now on Oxygen before it was Methane as the news said. What and who could producing oxygen on planet Mars the scientists are struggling to answer.

 

Mars Rover on Mars (image from NYTimes website)

Mars Rover on Mars ( image from NYTimes)

Mars Clouds ( image from Science Alert website)