Martian Crater Shows Evidence of Dried Pond
Did a pond once exist in this Martian crater? Recent photographs by the spacecraft Mars Global Surveyor , currently in orbit around Mars , show features unusual for Mars yet similar to a dried pond on Earth . Previously, much evidence suggested the effects of ancient channels of flowing water on Mars, but less evidence had been found for dried pools of water . Islands and bays on this crater floor indicate an accumulation of some liquid, however, a hypothesis consistent with channels found on the (inset) crater walls. As it is also possible the features were formed by other mechanisms including flowing lava , future observations and analysis will be needed to say for sure.