On the other hand, I'm skeptical just because of the conditions that we know prevail on Mars and knowing how difficult it is to have liquid water near the surface. So we have a problem. Carr said the average temperature in the polar regions should keep the surface solidly frozen to a depth of 3 to 6 kilometers. While scientists have no problem envisioning subsurface ice at high latitudes, liquid water is another matter. And this becomes a particular problem in photo interpretation in that we tend to interpret photos in light of our experiences here on Earth.
Conditions are very, very different on Mars.
Perhaps there are processes on Mars that do not occur on Earth. Even so, scientists are clearly intrigued by the possibility of liquid water on Mars today. Mars meets all of the environmental requirements to support life. Life seems to have a way of finding a way to exist. Finding possible evidence for liquid water at some point in the near term on Mars has profound implications for astrobiology.