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Layering, not Liquid: Astronomers explain Mars’ Watery Reflections

Martian South Pole Layered Deposit
This image from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the edge of the Martian South Pole Layered Deposit. The stack of fine layering is highlighted by the rays of the polar sun.

Cornell astronomers believe bright reflections beneath the surface of Mars’ South Pole are not necessarily evidence of liquid water, but instead geological layers.

Researchers detail their alternative explanation in Nature Astronomy.

“On Earth, reflections that bright are often an indication of liquid water, even buried lakes like Lake Vostok,” said Dan Lalich, research associate. “But on Mars, the prevailing opinion was that it should be too cold for similar lakes to form.”

But the fact remains, Lalich said, that the bright reflection exists and requires an explanation.

Lalich created simulati...

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