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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday November 23 2017, @11:17PM   Printer-friendly
from the look-for-signs-of-salmon dept.

Evidence for liquid water on the surface of Mars may have actually been evidence of sand movement:

One of [Alfred] McEwen's most important finds [on Mars] came in 2011, with the discovery of recurring slope lineae (RSL), thousands of temporary streaks along steep slopes, mostly near the equator, that gradually grow and darken as spring turns to summer, as if fed by seeps of water. They soon became cited as the best evidence for liquid water on the surface of Mars today—and also one of the best places to search for microbial life.

But McEwen has now dowsed some of the excitement ignited by his initial finding. In a study published online this month in Nature Geoscience, he and his colleagues analyzed 151 of the streaks, finding that they only occur on slopes steeper than 27° and always peter out when the angle drops below that [DOI: 10.1038/s41561-017-0012-5] [DX]. The researchers interpret this as a sign that the RSL are not formed by water—which would flow down shallower slopes—but rather are dry flows of sand and dust seeking their natural angle of repose.

But there's still hope for life on Mars... or beneath it:

Q: Do you think of Mars as a hospitable place?

A: It's inconceivable to me that there aren't places where there's liquid water today within Mars. If there was ever life on Mars—that originated somewhere—why wouldn't there still be life today in these underground pockets? The surface, on the other hand, is a very harsh environment for life.

Q: Should the search for life be focused on Mars? Or should NASA and other agencies be exploring the ocean worlds that orbit Jupiter and Saturn?

A: I'm heavily involved in one mission—the Europa Clipper. Extant life there is much more likely today than on the surface of Mars. On the other hand, they're further away, and Europa in particular is in a harsh radiation environment. I think we should do both.

Also at The Verge.

Previously: Water on Mars
Is Anything Tough Enough to Survive On Mars?


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @01:34AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @01:34AM (#600893)

    It's inconceivable to me that there aren't places where there's liquid water today within Mars. If there was ever life on Mars—that originated somewhere—why wouldn't there still be life today in these underground pockets?

    WTF does that even mean? Conman jackass.

  • (Score: 2) by qzm on Friday November 24 2017, @02:52AM

    by qzm (3260) on Friday November 24 2017, @02:52AM (#600904)

    Its called 'scientific inquiry', its also called 'I want to keep getting funding'.
    Its also hardly newsworthy, and reporting it is rather... tacky?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:38AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:38AM (#600914)

    Take a chill pill.

  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 24 2017, @06:54AM (2 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 24 2017, @06:54AM (#600973) Journal
    In other words, he is of the opinion that if there was life on Mars in the past, then it probably still is due to underground water. On Earth, if our atmosphere got wrecked to the point where no life could exist right on the surface, bacterial life could still exist underground (some which extends miles underneath) since it's not dependent on atmosphere to live.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @04:59PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @04:59PM (#601075)

      The first sentence states waterless Mars is inconceivable to him. Just after an article came out suggesting the erosion pattern doesn't mean water presence. Nor is there good evidence there was/is lifeform on Mars. These notions don't mash with each other.

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 24 2017, @05:18PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 24 2017, @05:18PM (#601079) Journal

        The first sentence states waterless Mars is inconceivable to him.

        We already know there's considerable water ice [wikipedia.org] on Mars. And the interior would be warmer. We have evidence of volcanism and we know the interior of Mars would still be warm due to heat of formation (from slamming all that mass together 4 billion years ago) and radioactive decay of things like uranium and thorium in the interior. So liquid water under the surface isn't a stretch, we just haven't seen it yet.