"Shorter Wet Epoch on Mars Spells Bad News for Potential Life"

New research suggests that the wet epoch on Mars may have been shorter than previously thought, as gullies previously attributed to water flow could have been formed by explosively evaporating carbon dioxide ice. This finding has implications for the search for life on Mars, as the presence of liquid water is crucial for the emergence and sustenance of living organisms. The study simulated Mars conditions in a lab and observed the sublimation of carbon dioxide ice, concluding that it can reshape the Martian landscape, potentially pushing the presence of water on Mars further into the past and reducing the likelihood of ancient life on the planet.