NASA scientists announced today that they have discovered concrete evidence there is liquid water flowing on Mars.
A team of scientists used an imaging spectrometer from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to detect signatures of hydrated minerals in a region where red streaks were previously spotted on the planet. The findings suggest that when the red streaks, dubbed recurring slope lineae (RSL), appear darker in the warmer season, water is present.
"Our quest on Mars has been to 'follow the water,' in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates what we've long suspected," said John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water -- albeit briny -- is flowing today on the surface of Mars."
Hydrated salts discovered on the slopes would lower the freezing of the liquid brine, causing it to act in a similar way to salts used on the Earth's roads to melt ice. The researchers believe a shallow subsurface flow is likely responsible for the darkening phenomenon seen on the lineae.
