In a new study published in the
Planetary Science Journal, a team of U.S. scientists combined experimentally verified data on brine evaporation rates along with a global circulation model to develop a new extensive framework of brine stability on the surface and subsurface of Mars. They found that the equatorial regions of Mars typically have temperatures too high for stable brines, while high latitudes are susceptible to permanent freezing.
Rendering of Gale Lake some 3.5 billion years ago, when Mars was warmer and much wetter. Image credit: Evan Williams / NASA / Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HIRISE project.
Brines are mixtures of water and salts that are more resistant to boiling, freezing and evaporation than pure water.