Curiosity’s detection of the gas, if atmospheric, could be an indicator of life on the Red Planet. But skeptics say further work is needed to rule out the rover itself as the source of the methane.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Geophysics Sheds Light on Early Martian Water and Habitability
A new study uses inversions of orbital gravity and magnetic field data to argue for the presence of ancient, long-lasting hydrothermal systems on Mars.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Martian Magmas Live Long and Prosper
The depths, longevity, and potential to generate silicic compositions of magma chambers are linked to crustal temperature, which varies across Mars and over its geological history.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Come on Feel the Noise: Machine Learning for Seismic-Wind Mapping on Mars
Wind vibrations measured by NASA’s InSight mission seismometer are mapped into wind speed and direction to detect major annual weather patterns and open new possibilities for planetary instrumentation.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Explaining Mars’ Mysteriously Magnetic Crust
Fluid-rock interactions on ancient Mars may have produced abundant magnetic minerals that preserved unusually intense records of the planet’s now-extinct magnetic field.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Mercury’s Hollows may be Young and Active
The first machine learning-derived global-scale survey of Mercury’s hollows suggests they are young features that may be active and will continue to evolve.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Explosive Origins of Titan’s Rampart Craters
In a new study, volcanic explosions are explored and modeled to understand the possible origins of rampart craters on Titan and determine whether their formation can source atmospheric methane.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Future of Martian Paleomagnetism
Samples collected by the Perseverance Rover have great potential for providing insights into the history of Mars’ magnetic field.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How an Ocean-Sized Lake May Have Formed on Ancient Mars
The catastrophic collapse of Mars’s atmosphere may have melted its polar ice cap, creating an ice-covered southern sea.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Timing the Global Expansion on the Moon
A new analysis of the relation between randomly oriented linear gravity anomalies and two large craters on the Moon implies that the gravity anomalies formed over a long period of time.