Space & Astronomy

Liquid water may still exist on Mars

By T.K. Randall
April 14, 2015 ·  16 comments

Curiosity has found evidence of a thin film of briny water on Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech There may no longer be rivers, ponds or lakes on the surface of Mars but now thanks to new data from the rover it turns out that liquid water, albeit in limited quantities, is still able to exist there.

Scientists believe that the liquid is able to collect in the form of a briny film just beneath the surface thanks to salt in the soil which lowers its freezing point. With temperatures of -70C and exposure to high levels of cosmic radiation however it is unlikely that any life forms would ever be able to survive in it.What the discovery does do though is open up the possibility of water forming much deeper down below the surface where the temperatures may be higher and the cosmic radiation cannot penetrate.

Scientists also believe that the findings lend credence to the idea that dark streaks observed on the surface of Mars are likely to have been formed by flowing water.

"We see a daily water cycle - which is very important," said Curiosity mission co-investigator Javier Martin-Torres. "This cycle is maintained by the brine. On Earth we have an exchange between the atmosphere and the ground through rain. But we don't have this on Mars."

Source: BBC News | Comments (16)

Tags: Mars, Curiosity, Water