This is an image of Mars. Click on image for full size version (40K GIF) Image from: NASA

• 1.) Since warm weather is needed for the formation of the river channels & floods, episodes of warm climate caused floods, releasing water into the atmosphere and further contributing to the warmer climate via the greenhouse effect. The end result of this process is that *water is returned* to the aquifer by atmospheric condensatation at higher latitudes, and the cycle repeats itself in the next episode of warm climate.
• 2.) flooding causes a *permanent* transfer of water to low areas.

What are the implications of these theories for the possibility of life on Mars? We know there is water below the surface of Mars, and we also know that life survives in deep water systems.

This is an image of Mars. Click on image for full size version (40K GIF) Image from: NASA

• 1.) Since warm weather is needed for the formation of the river channels & floods, episodes of warm climate caused floods, releasing water into the atmosphere. Water condenses onto the ground at higher latitudes where it is cooler. The end result of this process is that *water is returned* to the aquifer, and the cycle repeats itself in the next episode of warm climate.
• 2.) Flooding causes a *permanent* transfer of water to low areas.

This is an image of Mars. Click on image for full size version (40K GIF) Image from: NASA

• 1.) Warm weather caused river channels & floods, which released water into the atmosphere. Rain returns water to the same ground. The result is that *water is recycled*.
• 2.) Floods caused water to flow (over time) from the higher ground to low ground. It was not released again, even when the weather became warm, but remained *permanently* frozen into the ground .