Climate conditions on Mars – Alex Innanen. PhD Candidate. York University

Talk Synopsis

Martian methane has been an intriguing mystery since its first detection 20 years ago. Since then, we’ve uncovered a seasonal cycle and seen occasional methane plumes, however the origins of this gas remain unclear. We can study methane here on Earth to learn about how it might behave on Mars, and to figure out how to study it on the red planet. This talk will give a history of methane detection on Mars, the questions that still need to be answered, and how spending three weeks in the Canadian arctic might help us answer some of these questions.

Bio: Alex is a planetary scientist completing their PhD at York University studying the martian atmosphere. They are a collaborator on the Curiosity rover and take part in science operations planning as well as being a lead on the environmental science team. Alex has also been helping to develop an instrument which will study the origins of mysterious Martian methane. In addition to their studies, Alex is a member of the organising committee for ComSciConCAN, a science communication workshop for Canadian graduate students.

Banner Credit: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/the-deep-mars-colony-93c2290d5733