Evidence of Present-Day Liquid Water On Mars?

[Donger]

http://www.space.com/12543-mars-myst...alt-water.html

Salt water could be running down some slopes of Mars every spring, researchers suggest.

Such a finding would suggest new directions to search for any life that still existed on the Red Planet.

Clusters of dark, narrow lines that periodically emerge and lengthen on slopes in the warmer regions suggest briny water on Mars might still be flowing in a few rare places on the planet's surface.

"This is water today, not in the past," study co-author Alfred McEwen, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, told SPACE.com. [Photos: The Search for Water on Mars]

A great deal of evidence on the Martian surface suggests the planet was wet and perhaps capable of supporting life in the past. Although frozen water has been detected near the surface in many middle-to-high latitudes, there has been no definitive evidence that liquid water still runs across its surface.

"Water today on Mars was suggested previously, but it's not clear if those claims withstood follow-up studies," McEwen added. "That may prove true with this case as well, but for now, this is the best candidate for water today on Mars."

The scientists discovered the strange lines after a University of Arizona student used a computer algorithm on pictures of the Martian surface taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRise) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The algorithm was capable of identifying subtle changes on Mars over time. The images covered a variety of latitudes and span across approximately three Martian years.

The student, Lujendra Ojha, said in a statement: "I was baffled when I first saw those features in the images after I had run them through my algorithm. We soon realized they were different from slope streaks that had been observed before. These are highly seasonal, and we observed some of them had grown by more than 200 meters [650 feet] in a matter of just two Earth months." [FAQ: What the Possibility of Water on Mars Means]

These finger-like streaks extend down some slopes during the warmest months of the Martian year. They fade in winter, then re-emerge in the spring.

"What's most interesting to me is that it took so long to discover these details from images that were seen or acquired long ago but not examined in detail long ago," McEwen said. "It makes me wonder how many other things we're missing."

These features, called "recurring slope lineae," reach down steep slopes such as the rims of impact craters, usually on sides facing the equator. While they can be hundreds of feet long, they are only about 1.6 to 16 feet (0.5 to 5 meters) wide, much narrower than gullies seen in the past on Martian slopes.

The scientists detail their findings in the Aug. 5 issue of the journal Science.

[4th and Long]

Donger,

I have a money making idea and I'm letting you, and any other of CPs "space geeks", in on the ground floor. We just need a little funding and we'll be rich!

NEW! MARS SALT WATER TAFFY!

Each piece contains your daily allowance of Martian iron and other important space minerals. Not only good, but good FOR YOU.

[durtyrute]

Originally Posted by Donger

http://www.space.com/12543-mars-myst...alt-water.html

Salt water could be running down some slopes of Mars every spring, researchers suggest.

Such a finding would suggest new directions to search for any life that still existed on the Red Planet.

Clusters of dark, narrow lines that periodically emerge and lengthen on slopes in the warmer regions suggest briny water on Mars might still be flowing in a few rare places on the planet's surface.

"This is water today, not in the past," study co-author Alfred McEwen, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, told SPACE.com. [Photos: The Search for Water on Mars]

A great deal of evidence on the Martian surface suggests the planet was wet and perhaps capable of supporting life in the past. Although frozen water has been detected near the surface in many middle-to-high latitudes, there has been no definitive evidence that liquid water still runs across its surface.

"Water today on Mars was suggested previously, but it's not clear if those claims withstood follow-up studies," McEwen added. "That may prove true with this case as well, but for now, this is the best candidate for water today on Mars."

The scientists discovered the strange lines after a University of Arizona student used a computer algorithm on pictures of the Martian surface taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRise) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The algorithm was capable of identifying subtle changes on Mars over time. The images covered a variety of latitudes and span across approximately three Martian years.

The student, Lujendra Ojha, said in a statement: "I was baffled when I first saw those features in the images after I had run them through my algorithm. We soon realized they were different from slope streaks that had been observed before. These are highly seasonal, and we observed some of them had grown by more than 200 meters [650 feet] in a matter of just two Earth months." [FAQ: What the Possibility of Water on Mars Means]

These finger-like streaks extend down some slopes during the warmest months of the Martian year. They fade in winter, then re-emerge in the spring.

"What's most interesting to me is that it took so long to discover these details from images that were seen or acquired long ago but not examined in detail long ago," McEwen said. "It makes me wonder how many other things we're missing."

These features, called "recurring slope lineae," reach down steep slopes such as the rims of impact craters, usually on sides facing the equator. While they can be hundreds of feet long, they are only about 1.6 to 16 feet (0.5 to 5 meters) wide, much narrower than gullies seen in the past on Martian slopes.

The scientists detail their findings in the Aug. 5 issue of the journal Science.

Wait.....so you mean there is a chance that there is life on another planet besides this one........

[Rausch]

World is flat.

Deal...

[Donger]

[Shox]

Originally Posted by Rausch

You really have no connection to reality or knowledge of the current state of the space program.

Let's see what do I know....
1. The last space shuttle mission was just completed
2. They announced the next big thing for NASA will be Mars
3. In order to get to Mars is will take BILLIONS
4. This country is in a financial disaster of historic proportions

and we get this.....Mars has running water.

I may not know much, but I know when the publicity machine is turned on.

[Hydrae]

What makes them think it is salt water rather than fresh water?

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Hydrae

What makes them think it is salt water rather than fresh water?

Because they saw whales and sharks and no Guppies.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Hydrae

What makes them think it is salt water rather than fresh water?

We've known that there was salt on Mars for a couple of years, and fresh water would freeze at the temperatures they are talking about.

[lcarus]

I believe space exploration is awesome and necessary, but I get the feeling we will never find anything resembling intelligent life unless they find us. Not in the next several generations anyway.

[DMAC]

Originally Posted by lcarus

I believe space exploration is awesome and necessary, but I get the feeling we will never find anything resembling intelligent life unless they find us. Not in the next several generations anyway.

They already found us. They live among us/ they are us!

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Einstein 159

We all thank our resident scientist for providing today what was all over the news media YESTERDAY.

Not every thread is as brilliant as yor thread about the dangers of planes crashing into fields at 36,000 feet.

Incidentally that crash was in the news on July 30th yet you posted it on July 31st. I'm sure the irony of this fact will not be lost on a man of your tremendous aptitude.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Not every thread is as brilliant as yor thread about the dangers of planes crashing into fields at 36,000 feet.

Incidentally that crash was in the news on July 30th yet you posted it on July 31st. I'm sure the irony of this fact will not be lost on a man of your tremendous aptitude.

Was minor news compared to this. This one was ALL OVER the news. Thanks for playing. You noticed I let it go but you HAD to post this.

[Hydrae]

Originally Posted by Donger

We've known that there was salt on Mars for a couple of years, and fresh water would freeze at the temperatures they are talking about.

True, the temperature should have been obvious to me.

[petegz28]

[TimeForWasp]

Originally Posted by Hydrae

What makes them think it is salt water rather than fresh water?

There were salt shakers laying around on the bank.