Salt might play a key role in the mysterious behavior of methane seeps on Mars. Since 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover has repeatedly detected methane on Mars, specifically near its landing site inside the 96-mile-wide (154 kilometers) Gale Crater.

A recent paper may help explain why a portable chemistry lab on NASA’s Curiosity rover has continually sniffed out traces of the gas near the surface of Gale Crater. The most surprising revelation fro

Then there’s the fact that the gas isn’t present in measurable amounts in Mars’ upper atmosphere. Scientists have suggested that a layer of salt under Mars’ surface could explain the behavior of these erratic gas leaks.