I. Atmospheric Sciences

2.Research bolsters case for a present-day subsurface ocean on Pluto1.Study: As Alaska warms, methane emissions appear stable2.NEW FINDINGS HINT AT OXYGEN-RICH PAST ON MARS

WASHINGTON, DC — The discovery of manganese oxides in Martian rocks might tell us that the Red Planet was once more Earth-like than previously believed. A new paper inGeophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, reveals NASA’s Curiosity rover observed high levels of manganese oxides in Martian rocks, which could indicate higher levels of atmospheric oxygen once existed on our neighboring planet. This hint of more oxygen in Mars’ early atmosphere adds to other Curiosity findings—such as evidence of ancient lakes—revealing how Earth-like our neighboring planet once was.