Life on Mars?

Mars appears to weep, sending salty water down the slopes of canyon and crater walls to form dark streaks that appear and disappear with the seasons. The analysis that paints this picture represents the strongest evidence yet that water is responsible for these streaks. It is heightening anticipation that useful amounts of water are accessible in many places on the red planet.



Water is a potential resource for humans exploring Mars, as a raw material for rocket fuel as well as for slaking astronauts' thirst. It also is key to making a place livable for simple forms of life. Thus, the dark streaks may be potential destinations for missions that aim to hunt for current life on Mars.



The evidence that water is producing the dark streaks is indirect, but powerful, researchers say. It's based on an abundance of water-bearing salts. The salts are more abundant along the streaks than in the soils in between them, suggesting repeated deposits from current sources, the researchers announcing the results say. And they are capable of soaking up moisture from the atmosphere to become a briny solution.



An image released by NASA on Sept. 27, 2015, shows dark narrow streaks called recurring slope lineae emanating from the walls of Garni crater on Mars. The dark streaks here are up to few hundred yards long. They are hypothesized to be formed by flow of briny liquid water on Mars.



An image made available by NASA on Sept. 27, 2015, shows dark, narrow, 100-yard-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on that Mars are inferred to have been formed by flowing water. Planetary scientists recently detected hydrated salts on these slopes, corroborating their hypothesis that the streaks are formed by liquid water.



An image made available by NASA on Sept. 27, 2015, shows the dark narrow streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing down the west-facing slopes of Coprates Chasma in the equatorial region of Mars. These dark streaks flowing downhill on warm Martian slopes have been inferred to be contemporary flowing liquid water on Mars. Discovery of hydrated salts in these slopes have corroborated the liquid water hypothesis.



An image made available by NASA on Sept. 27, 2015, shows dark, narrow, 100-yard-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars that are inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water. Recently, planetary scientists detected hydrated salts on these slopes at Horowitz crater, corroborating their hypothesis that the streaks are formed by liquid water.



An image made available by NASA on Sept. 27, 2015, shows dark, narrow, 100-yard-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars, inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water.