We already knew that there was frozen water on Mars and that it was highly likely there was liquid water that occasionally streamed down the sides of craters. However, the recent discovery by Lujendra Ojha and Alfred McEwen at the University of Arizona seems to indicate that Mars is far wetter than we thought.Using observations taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and differencing software, they looked for changes in the geography over 3 years. What they found was that there were features at the edges of craters and slopes that changed seasonally on Mars. These streaks grew in the summer and faded in the winter. The hypothesis is that these streaks are made by water seeping out of the ground. Since the surface of Mars is below freezing the only way this could be liquid water is if the water was actually salt water, which lowers the freezing point of pure water.
The abundance of water on Mars is good new for those who hope to find life there. This recent finding provides new places to look for life as it is thought that it is more likely to exist in regions with liquid water. It is also good new for those who wish to bring Earth life to Mars as they won't have to haul along their own water.
