Rover Finds Ancient Streambed On Martian Surface

There are other fluids than water that can sustain a semicolloidal solution or carry sediments. I assume that scientists now have to figure out what fluid flowed, rather than simply assuming that it had to be water.

Zap it with a laser and conduct at spectrum analysis on it and see what elements pop up.

Without proclaiming any expertise, I'd say that the erosion and eddy patterns left behind would be informative, since they would be indicative of the viscosity of the liquid. The pattern of sediment would drop hints towards its density. Water, CO2 and other highly-vaporous substances would not leave much, if any discernible residue or precipitate compared many other fluids. Some fluids would react with certain payload elements, other with different payload elements (in the structural meaning of the term "element", not the chemical one).

There's a lot you can learn just ogling the pictures.

THEN zap it with a laser!

Routinely you will find H20 bonded in some sediments where water has passed for a length of time, sans life, there will be less (to none) of the familiar compounds of Earth. It likely was water, but when and how much is certainly an interest, though it likely boiled off into space, thanks to Mars' weak gravity.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/x0G8J7hZTJk/rover-finds-ancient-streambed-on-martian-surface

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