Curious lines running down slopes on the Martian surface may be streaks of super-salty brine, said the latest findings on Monday in the scientific quest for extra-terrestrial liquid water, a prerequisite for life.

A team from the United States and France said it found evidence in the lines of ‘hydrated’ salt minerals, which require water for their creation.

These results ‘strongly support the hypothesis’ of liquid water on Mars on Monday, concluded a research paper published in the journal, Nature Geoscience.

Astrophysicists have long hypothesized that the seasonal streaks, dubbed ‘recurring slope lineae’ (RSL), may be formed by brine flows on the Red Planet.

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