The story of water on Mars has a checkered past. Historically thought to be criss-crossed by alien canals, the arrival of the first spacecraft showed that the red planet is bone dry. A flotilla of satellites has since traveled to Mars. Water ice has been seen dusting the ground, in hydrous minerals, in glaciers draped on volcano walls, and, the vast majority, locked up in the polar caps. Such a frosting gives a clue that water was once abundant on Mars and the planet's early climate was wet. Since then, water has been lost from the surface and atmosphere. It is possible that some may have survived underground, occasionally seeping to the surface, and so signs of flowing water have been sought extensively. Such places would be top destinations for future landers to search for signs of extant or past life.]
Science 21 September 2007:
Vol. 317. no. 5845, p. 1705
DOI: 10.1126/science.317.5845.1705
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