They found recent traces of water on Mars.

They found recent traces of water on Mars.

They found recent traces of water on Mars.

According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, a group of scientists has found surprisingly fresh tracks of water on the red planet. 

The discovery, made possible by data from the HiRISE camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft took place in Istok crater, a crater gullies well defined and less than a million years old, so Water footprints belong to this recent period.

This further extends the panorama of the Martian water cycle and could lead to a future finding traces of life. 

Studying the layout of the cliffs of the crater in three dimensions, and comparing slopes carved on Earth, scientists discovered that debris flows have had between 20 and 60 percent water (similar to what happens in places far Earth dry as the Atacama desert), and that their brands were often with sudden "slides" that occur every 10 to 100 years. 

The question now is whether the crater Istok is a solitary oasis, an exception to the rule in its dry planet, or similar humid environments are scattered around Mars. In any case, the results of this research are valuable and surprising.