Evidence Suggests There Might Not Be Water on Mars

Sand and dust, as far as the eye can see.

By Brian Barnett

New evidence suggests that water may not play as big a role in the dark streaks on Mars' surface as previously thought.

The new findings published in Nature Geoscience (via CNET) reference the recurring slope lineae (RSL), dark streaks on the planet's surface, which had previously been thought to be caused by seasonally shifting liquid water, but now seem to be caused by shifting sand and dust.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/USGS (via CNET)

Although the fact that the RSL come and go with Martian seasons was originally attributed to the potential involvement of liquid water, high-res images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter found evidence that they are caused by the movement of sand and dust.

One of the reasons for the change is that scientists found that RSL were only visible on steep slopes. If water was involved, the dark streaks would be visible on both steep and shallow slopes. While water may still exist somewhere on Mars, as evidenced by the presence of hydrated salts, the study says that liquid water volumes "may be small or zero."

Three years ago, scientists found evidence suggesting that the dark streaks on Mars' surface were formed by liquid water, leading some to theorize that the planet may have been home to microbial life. Last year, however, researchers used thermal emission imaging to determine that RSL may only contain around three percent water by weight, similar to some of Earth's own deserts.

Scientists on the project now theorize that the process in determining the appearance of RSL may be unique to the environment of Mars, and research into the history of the red planet continues.

Brian Barnett is an IGN Freelance Writer and is native to Earth. You can follow him or talk to him about all kinds of things on Twitter at @Ribnax.

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