JWST capable of detecting potential biosignatures in exoplanets

Baron_Yam writes: Perhaps it can't do it for an actual Earth-like world, but with a handful of transit observations of an atmosphere-bearing planet orbiting a red dwarf, JWST should be able to collect enough information to determine if some basic compounds exist that are common to life. Sadly, not unique — there's overlap with non-biological processes — but it's still a good proof of concept for future telescopes that will be able to use the same method of examining light that has passed through a small rocky world's atmosphere. This would be a significant improvement over successes to date using gas giants with very dense atmospheres.

Oxygen Rich Atmospheres

[ndsurvivor]

It seems from what I have learned, Oxygen seems bound to other chemicals unless plant life and photosynthesis 'unlocks' O2. It doesn't seem like there would be any other 'natural' explanation for an Oxygen rich atmosphere, to me.

Re:

[Baron_Yam]

It certainly seems like a good bet that high atmospheric oxygen concentrations on a wet rocky planet indicate some kind of photosynthesis analogue is present (and therefore life)... but there are geological processes that can get at least some of the job done, so it's not a 100% lock.

The signature I like to imagine detecting is actually industrial pollution. Chemicals that aren't created by any known geological process and indicate not just life, but life smart enough to have advanced technology (but stupi