# Lefèvre 2009: Observed variations of methane on Mars unexplained by known atmospheric chemistry and physics

> Franck Lefèvre, François Forget, 2009. 2 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The physical problem that any variable methane implies.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7EXKPJ0M3K/observed-variations-of-methane-on-mars-unexplained-by-known  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

---

[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Mars methane puzzle](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/mars-methane)Lefèvre 2009

**0**

# Observed variations of methane on Mars unexplained by known atmospheric chemistry and physics

Franck Lefèvre, François Forget, 2009. _Nature 460(7256), 720–723_.

A Mars climate model with coupled chemistry shows that standard photochemistry gives methane a lifetime of several centuries and cannot make local enhancements; reproducing them needs a lifetime under 200 days, a loss 600 times faster than known.

**Mars methane puzzle** Articledoi: **[10.1038/nature08228](https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08228)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The physical problem that any variable methane implies.

## Cited by on this site 2 records

[Standard photochemistry gives methane a lifetime of centuries; local variations need a loss 600 times faster.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/mars-methane/evidence/EVD0D7EY1KW48TA/standard-photochemistry-gives-methane-a-lifetime-of)

Evidence

EVD

[The Mars methane puzzle](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/mars-methane)

The mystery article

MYS

## Cite it

```
Lefèvre, F., & Forget, F. (2009). Observed variations of methane on Mars unexplained by known atmospheric chemistry and physics. Nature 460(7256), 720–723. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08228
```

[Find it at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08228)

Key

**SRC** 0D7EXKPJ0M3K

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

27 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS.

[CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7EXKPJ0M3K/observed-variations-of-methane-on-mars-unexplained-by-known/csl.json)