Curiosity’s hard work is once again paying off by turning up evidence that liquid water quite likely exists on Mars at this time.
A paper published in Nature Geoscience reveals that data collected at the Gale crater suggests the presence of condensation that appears at night and evaporates during the day.
The soil’s composition is key in allowing for such promise as it shows high quantities of perchlorate salts, which would enable water to exist in a liquid form despite the Red Planet’s punishing, sub-zero temperatures.
Said the study’s lead author, “There have been hypotheses and laboratory studies supporting this possibility before, but this is the first time that we’ve found evidence that conditions are right for the formation of liquid water on Mars.”
However, liquid water likely doesn’t stay on the surface for long due to a number of environmental factors. In addition to it simply freezing, it’s particularly prone to vaporizing into a gas as Mars lacks the kind of atmosphere that supports liquid stability.
Though the evidence discovered by Curiosity suggests a minute amount of liquid, researchers are hopeful that it’s an indication of many more deposits existing elsewhere.
