- Messages
- 12,453
We’ve spent the last 50 years exploring our cosmic neighbor Mars, but we are only just beginning to understand the complex, yet seemingly barren world. Thanks to a few intrepid space probes, we know Mars has water and some of it is locked up in icy polar caps, and some even lurks below the surface. Finding evidence of flowing water (even temporary flows) on the surface might mean Mars is a bit more habitable than previously thought. This week (September 28, 2015) scientists announced they detected the best evidence yet for liquid water flowing on the surface of Mars. So what does this mean? What can this discovery tell us about the implications for life?
Exciting and important science isn’t always about major discoveries, incremental results can be just as exhilarating as NASA proved yesterday. For years scientists were puzzled by the seasonal appearance of dark finger-like streaks spotted creeping down crater walls. Known as recurring slope linae (RSL for short), the streaks appear and even grow during the warmer months before fading away as temperatures drop. Scientists postulated that these enigmatic features were the result of transient salty water flows, but never had any supporting evidence – until now.
With the help of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), scientists have detected the spectral fingerprints of hydrated perchlorate salts in the RSL. These chemical signatures indicate the features are caused by salty water flowing – and when we say flowing, we mean more like seeping – down the crater walls. In order to survive in liquid form on the surface of Mars (for any length of time), water would need to be extremely salty – which is what the evidence shows.
With some sort of liquid water still trickling on the Martian surface, does this mean it can support life? We know that some microbial communities can survive in similar conditions here on Earth, like the Atacama Desert, but what can that tell us about Mars? Truthfully, not much at this point. While they appear similar, we do not know enough about the conditions on Mars for a proper comparison. Also, the RSL are seasonal features so any sort of organism relying on them as a source of water would also need to be able to survive in their absence.
Read more:
What Does The Discovery Of Liquid Salty Water On Mars Mean For The Search For Life?
Exciting and important science isn’t always about major discoveries, incremental results can be just as exhilarating as NASA proved yesterday. For years scientists were puzzled by the seasonal appearance of dark finger-like streaks spotted creeping down crater walls. Known as recurring slope linae (RSL for short), the streaks appear and even grow during the warmer months before fading away as temperatures drop. Scientists postulated that these enigmatic features were the result of transient salty water flows, but never had any supporting evidence – until now.
With the help of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), scientists have detected the spectral fingerprints of hydrated perchlorate salts in the RSL. These chemical signatures indicate the features are caused by salty water flowing – and when we say flowing, we mean more like seeping – down the crater walls. In order to survive in liquid form on the surface of Mars (for any length of time), water would need to be extremely salty – which is what the evidence shows.
With some sort of liquid water still trickling on the Martian surface, does this mean it can support life? We know that some microbial communities can survive in similar conditions here on Earth, like the Atacama Desert, but what can that tell us about Mars? Truthfully, not much at this point. While they appear similar, we do not know enough about the conditions on Mars for a proper comparison. Also, the RSL are seasonal features so any sort of organism relying on them as a source of water would also need to be able to survive in their absence.
Read more:
What Does The Discovery Of Liquid Salty Water On Mars Mean For The Search For Life?
