On September 28, 2015, NASA announced the results of a new study showing seasonal salt water currents on the surface of Mars.
NASA has long drawn attention to the dark streaks that have appeared on the planet's surface. Now researchers have been able to prove that the reason for this was the seasonal currents that arose in the warm season and disappeared in the cold. The width of the streams did not exceed 5 meters.
It became possible to detect these currents thanks to images taken by the onboard camera of the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) orbiter. The source of water in these currents is still unknown. According to Seth Shostak, head of the SETI Research Center, seasonal currents may be traces of lakes that once existed on the planet's surface.
Spectral analysis by researcher Lujendra Ojha and colleagues has shown hydrated salts on the Martian slopes that keep water flowing even at low temperatures. NASA researchers also suggest that an ocean existed on Mars 4.3 billion years ago.
Seth Shostak believes that if microorganisms are found on the planet, this will turn the idea of life as a universal phenomenon from a hypothesis into a plausible statement.
In July 2015, the onboard camera of the HiRISE orbiter took a picture of a section of the Red Planet about 536 meters long, where ice structures are clearly visible. Then scientists made the assumption that there may be a significant amount of water in the canyons of the Mariner Valley.
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In December 2014, the Curiosity rover discovered traces of ancient lakes on the surface of Mars. Investigating the rock of Mount Sharp, scientists discovered various layers in its composition, some of which were formed under the influence of water and wind.
This allowed scientists to make the assumption that several tens of millions of years ago there was a large lake on the site of the mountain. The researchers also do not exclude the possibility that the atmosphere of Mars could keep temperatures above zero degrees.