OFFMEN International

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 — Pictures of Martian gullies taken several years apart strongly suggest that water still flows at least occasionally on the surface of the planet, scientists announced Wednesday.

While water ice and water vapor have long been known to exist below the surface of Mars in the relatively recent past, and water ice has been seen at the poles, this is “the strongest evidence to date that water still flows occasionally on the surface of Mars,” said Michael Meyer, the lead scientist for NASA’s Mars exploration program.

If water is present, that would raise the possibility of microbial life: with water and some form of steady heat, bacteria can grow even in hostile environments