Nasa scientists believe these channels may have been carved by running water. The new pictures add to a growing body of evidence gleaned by the MGS which suggests that water could exist in a porous layer of rock buried just below the Martian surface. If liquid water does still flow on Mars, and some experts remain sceptical, the planet's southern hemisphere would be a good place to look. Martian autumn Winter in the Martian southern hemisphere begins in mid-December. Over the next few months, Nasa scientists will examine closely new pictures of the planet in an attempt to bolster their evidence.
Liquid water is the key ingredient for supporting life.
If the discovery were confirmed, it would have profound implications for the chance of finding existing, microbial extra-terrestrial life. But some experts are cautious about the findings. It had been thought that water on Mars was in the form of ice below the surface and unlikely to run free on the surface. Mars enthusiasts will be awaiting eagerly the opportunity, in the next few years, to place a lander on the surface of the planet in an attempt to resolve the question one way or the other.