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Evidence For Liquid Water On a Frozen Early Mars

Matt_dk writes "NASA scientists modeled freezing conditions on Mars to test whether liquid water could have been present to form the surface features of the Martian landscape. Evidence suggests flowing water formed the rivers and gullies on the Mars surface, even though surface temperatures were below freezing. Dissolved minerals in liquid water may be the reason."

3 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Coulda, woulda, shoulda by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wow, another speculative article from someone one what COULD have been. I wish one of these days NASA would give me more than models, simulations, possibilities, and probes that are SUPPOSED to reveal actual conclusive evidence but which never do.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. Re:Briny rivers by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 3, Interesting

    But if there was salt in the water, there was probably also life in that water. Life living in the salty water making it saltier by pissing in it every single day.

    The thinking that brines may keep the water on Mars from freezing is not a new conclusion-- here ( http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/153110701753198927?cookieSet=1&journalCode=ast ) is a discussion of the concept from a few years back.

    And, of course, the fact that the Opportunity rover found the Meridiani Planum site to be covered with evaporite deposits (mostly sulfate salts) contributes a lot...

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  3. Re:Warmer? by smoker2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The only problem I can see with all your comments is that you are assuming this took place a long time ago. We know that Mars can reach the mid 20s C and we also know that there are massive periodic dust storms.
    Don't you think the storms would have eroded away the water gullies, or at least filled them with dust by now ? So I would say the formations are a lot more recent than "in the ancient past when Mars had a bigger atmosphere".