 However, methane cannot persist in the Martian atmosphere for more than a few hundred years since it can be broken down by sunlight.Thus, this discovery suggests that the methane is being continually replenished by some unidentified volcanic or geologic process, or that some kind of extremophile life form similar to some existing on Earth is metabolising carbon dioxide and hydrogen and producing methane.In July 2004, rumours began to circulate that Formisano would announce the discovery of ammonia at an upcoming conference.