MRO has discovered evidence of subsurface flow on Mars in the past

At some time in the distant past, liquids flowed through underground channels. The minerals in these fluids accumulated in layers over millions of years. And then the wind and dust eroded these materials and revealed the layered pattern

New and interesting data from the "Mars Rover" (MRO) spacecraft. On Thursday, the scientists deciphering the spacecraft's photographs announced that there is evidence of the existence of liquids or gases of some kind that once flowed beneath the surface of Mars.

This is a rare case where the most beautiful images from Mars are also of great scientific value. In the attached photo you see beautiful patterns of exposed layers in the canyon known as Kandor Chasma.

Geologist Chris Okubo from the University of Arizona in Tucson explains: "What caught my eye was the whiteness or lack of dark material along the fracture. This is a sign of the change of the minerals in the channel due to the flow of water that passed through these holes" says Okubo. It reminds me of formations I encountered during a field trip as a student in Utah. It shows the halo of light at the opening of cracks in dark rock.

At some time in the distant past, liquids flowed through underground channels. The minerals in these fluids accumulated in layers over millions of years. And then the wind and dust eroded these materials and revealed the layered pattern.

The MRO spacecraft's high-definition imaging capability made the difference here – its ability to reveal details as small as one meter allowed scientists to view data that had previously been hidden from the cameras of previous spacecraft.