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

New research suggests that the wet epoch on Mars, when water flowed across the planet, may have been shorter than previously believed. Gullies on Mars, once thought to have been carved out by water, could have been created by explosively evaporating carbon dioxide ice, reducing the likelihood of ancient microscopic life on the planet. The study simulated Mars conditions in a lab and observed the sublimation of carbon dioxide ice, indicating that it can reshape the Martian landscape without the involvement of flowing water.