Science
The Curiosity rover has previously confirmed that Mars once had water but has long since dried up. However, recent observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have shown that Mars has seasonal salt water flows.
In 2011, scientists noticed finger-like geological formations on the Red Planet at the middle latitudes of the southern Martian slopes.
In spring and summer, rocky slopes appeared there, which disappeared in winter and returned the following spring.
The most appropriate explanation for this phenomenon is the presence of water that flows there.
NASA photo from Mars
The new observations have followed seasonal changes on several slopes near the Martian equator, including five sites in the Mariner Valleys, the largest canyon system in the solar system.
In each of these places, elongated structures less than 5 meters wide and about 1.2 km long appeared on the northern and southern slopes. On the northern and southern slopes, they became active at the time of year when they received the most sunlight.
Read also: Where did the rivers on Mars come from and where did they go?
“Although their origin remains an open question, our observations suggest periodic flows of salt water,” said study author Dr. Alfred McEwen from Arizona. university.
This indicates the presence of unusually large amounts of liquid water in some equatorial regions of Mars.
Read also: What did Mars look like 4 billion years ago? (video)