WATER FLOWED ON MARS: recently!

The new study suggests water may still bubble to the surface of Mars now and then, flow for a short stretch, then boil away in the thin, cold air.

The conclusion is based on computer modeling of the atmosphere and how water would behave.

“The gullies may be sites of near-surface water on present-day Mars and should be considered as prime astrobiological target sites for future exploration,” said Jennifer Heldmann, the lead researcher from NASA’s Ames Research Center. “The gully sites may also be of prime importance for human exploration of Mars because they may represent locations of relatively near surface liquid water, which can be accessed by crews drilling on the red planet.”

Any potential long-term human presence on Mars would require a water source, both for drinking and to be broken down into hydrogen as fuel for return flights.

The claim that water carved the gullies is based on the shape and size of features spotted by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor.

This is good news, though life on Mars might well be bad news.