Wow, folks, isn't this just fantastic? The two possible explanations: volcanic activity or microbes, both have incredible implications for future mars missions. Does anyone know if any missions on the drawing board will be capable of mapping out volcanic 'hotspots'? I know this technology exists becuase we have used it on our own planet to map out 'hotspots' where techtonic activity is taking place.
On terraforming Mars, it is known that the atmosphere would 'heat-up' much more quickly than the ground. In fact, it should take centuries to heat the ground with atmospheric temperature increases to any appreciable depth. I believe this makes the case for terraforming more than a 'flight-of-fancy'. It is now our responcibility to in fact save Mars. These microbes are never going to evolve into a higher lifeform being trapped underground. In fact, all our evidence to date has shown that Mars is becoming a more inhospitable planet. If these microbes are to survive and thrive one day, we must act now to begin thickening the atmosphere of Mars by melting its polar caps.
Finally, I believe that this news will bring to bear some of the most influencial groups in our world, that have so far not had an intrest in Mars, the environmentalists. This is truely fanatastic news!

I guess the question I have is how come we did not see methane before. Say back when the viking landers or with the later Sojourner Rover. Or did we contaminate mars with Earth baterium that made the journey with each craft. That the signs we are seeing now are not native to mars but are the end results of hitching a ride with our own probes that we sent to study the planet. Lastly was this done on purpose by an individual that wanted to see mars exploration in the future or was this done unitentionally.

I just today spoke about the methane with dr. Formisano of the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer on the Mars Express that detected the methane. and he told me that the methane he detected would amount to about 33 tons on a planetary schale. that is quite an amount. about the earth microbes I spoke with Dr. Chris McKay two weeks ago at NASA Ames and he let the people present know, that the earth microbes that hitched a ride from earth to mars and were exposed to the martian atmosphere are almost certainly dead. but the microbes that are protected inside the switch box or underneath the solar panels of the Viking or pathfinder lander are probably still alive if dormant. so if we would change the atmosphere on Mars by terraforming we would give them a chance to grow and multiply and so pollute Mars.
so before we start changing anything on Mars, we must make certain that there exists no Martian life. and if it does exist we regretably (my opinion) should keep out, but also should spent time and money on destroying the bacteria we brought to Mars by scooping up the soil of all the landingsites and exposing it to the ultraviolette rays in the martian light. that will be quite a lot of work where Beagle2, Polar lander and such are concerned, for they are in many little pieces. and we have to find them all to clean mars from earth microbes.
if we humans want to live on Mars, then the only good Martian we find, is a dead Martian. ( I am quoting Chris McKay here). This because if we find life Martians, we have to keep out.

Two possibilities:
1)The organisms on Mars are native and evolved seperately from earth life. Ok leave it alone, meaning limit human presence on the surface and take precautions.
2)The organisms on Mars are not native and were deposited there by meteors from Earth containing microbes. Well someone's point has been proven but the planet is ours to do as we see fit (ie terraform the mofo!)

Either way, humans have to go to the surface to find out which is true.

A sample return project would probably bring back our own microbes not martian if the unit is contaminated most likely to happen but with a little faith NASA will get it right maybe.