Study casts doubt on water flows as cause of streaks on Martian slopes

"It's similar to how dry sand can flow like water when poured. But on Mars, the ultra-fine particles and low gravity enhance the fluid-like properties, creating features that might be mistaken for water flows when they're dry material in motion," Valantinas said.
The study examined about 87,000 satellite images, including those obtained between 2006 and 2020 by a camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, of slope streaks, which form suddenly and fade over years. They average roughly 600m to 775m long, sometimes branching out and going around obstacles.
The slope streaks were concentrated mostly in the northern hemisphere, particularly in three major clusters: at the plains of Elysium Planitia, the highlands of Arabia Terra and the vast Tharsis volcanic plateau including the Olympus Mons volcano, towering about three times higher than Mount Everest.
The researchers said limitations in the resolution of the satellite images mean they account for only a fraction of slope streaks. They estimated the number at up to two million.
Water is considered an essential ingredient for life. Mars billions of years ago was wetter and warmer than it is today. The question remains whether Mars has any liquid water on its surface when temperatures seasonally can edge above the freezing point.
It remains possible that small amounts of water, perhaps sourced from buried ice, subsurface aquifers or abnormally humid air, could mix with enough salt in the ground to create a flow even on the frigid Martian surface. That raises the possibility that the slope streaks, if caused by wet conditions, could be habitable niches.
"Generally, it is very difficult for liquid water to exist on the Martian surface due to the low temperature and the low atmospheric pressure. But brines, or very salty water, might potentially be able to exist for short periods of time," said planetary geomorphologist and study co-leader Valentin Bickel of the University of Bern in Switzerland.
Given the massive volume of images, the researchers employed an advanced machine-learning method, looking for correlations involving temperature patterns, atmospheric dust deposition, meteorite impacts, the nature of the terrain and other factors. The geostatistical analysis found slope streaks often appear in the dustiest regions and correlate with wind patterns, while some form near the sites of fresh impacts and quakes.
The researchers also studied shorter-lived features called recurring slope lineae, or RSL, seen primarily in the Martian southern highlands. These grow in the summer and fade the next winter. The data suggested these also were associated with dry processes such as dust devils, or whirlwinds of dust, and rockfalls.
The analysis found both types of features were not typically associated with factors indicative of a liquid or frost origin such as high surface temperature fluctuations, high humidity or specific slope orientations.
"It all comes back to habitability and the search for life," Bickel said.
"If slope streaks and RSL would be driven by liquid water or brines, they could create a niche for life. However, if they are not tied to wet processes, this allows us to focus our attention on other, more promising locations."
)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Herald

15 hours ago

• The Herald

SpaceX Starship rocket explodes in setback for Musk's Mars mission

SpaceX's massive Starship spacecraft exploded into a dramatic fireball during testing in Texas late on Wednesday, the latest in a series of setbacks for billionaire Elon Musk's Mars rocket programme. The explosion occurred around 11pm local time while Starship was on a test stand at its Brownsville, Texas Starbase while preparing for the 10th test flight, SpaceX said in a post on Musk's social-media platform X. The company attributed it to a 'major anomaly' and said all personnel were safe. Its engineering teams were investigating the incident, and it was coordinating with local, state and federal agencies regarding environmental and safety impacts, the company said. 'Preliminary data suggests a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,' Musk said in a post on X, in a reference to a nitrogen gas storage unit known as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. 'If further investigation confirms this is what happened, it is the first time for this design,' he said. The Starship rocket appeared to experience at least two explosions in quick succession, lighting up the night sky and sending debris flying, according to video capturing the moment it exploded.

eNCA

2 days ago

• eNCA

SpaceX Starship explodes during routine test

AUSTIN - One of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starships exploded during a routine test late Wednesday in Texas, law enforcement said, in the latest setback to the billionaire's dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species. The Starship 36 suffered "catastrophic failure and exploded" at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 11:00 pm (0400 GMT Thursday), a Facebook post by the Cameron County authorities said. A video shared with the post showed the megarocket attached to the launch arm, and then a flash and a towering, fiery explosion. Musk's Space X said the rocket was preparing for the tenth flight test when it "experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," without elaborating on the nature of the complication. "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," Space X added on social media. "There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue." The Starship was not scheduled for launch on Wednesday evening when the explosion occurred during a "routine static fire test," according to the Cameron County authorities. During a static fire, part of the procedures preceding a launch, the Starship's Super Heavy booster would be anchored to the ground to prevent it from lifting off during the test-firing. Starbase on the south Texas coast, near the border with Mexico, is the headquarters for Musk's space project. - Megarocket - Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket and central to Musk's long-term vision of colonizing Mars. The Starship is billed as a fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons. The latest setback follows an explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off on May 27 from the Starbase facility, but the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean. But the failures will likely do little to dent Musk's spacefaring ambitions. SpaceX has been betting that its "fail fast, learn fast" ethos, which has helped it dominate commercial spaceflight, will eventually pay off. The company has caught the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower's giant robotic arms three times a daring engineering feat it sees as key to rapid reusability and slashing costs. NASA is also increasingly reliant on SpaceX, whose Dragon spacecraft is vital for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early May approved an increase in annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25, stating that the increased frequency would not adversely impact the environment. The decision overruled objections from conservation groups who had warned the expansion could endanger sea turtles and shorebirds.

eNCA

11-06-2025

• eNCA

Stargazers in for rare Strawberry moon treat

JOHANNESBURG - Stargazers are in for a rare celestial treat as the Strawberry Moon graces the skies. The moon will appear unusually low and radiant in a spectacle that won't repeat for another 18 years. While the name 'Strawberry Moon' doesn't refer to colour, the moon does take on a golden or reddish hue as it rises and sets, especially when it's this close to the horizon. If you miss it, you'll have to wait until 2043 to see the full moon hang this low again. Look up tonight for something sweet! The full Strawberry Moon, named by the Algonquin tribes for the time of year that berries ripen, will take to the night skies on June 10-11. — NASA (@NASA) June 10, 2025