6 ms·

So, how legitimate is this claim? I feel like we hear about this all of the time, only to be disappointed later after further analysis.

• rlpb 13y ago
  As far as I can tell, this is not a claim at all. It is an observed phenomenon, for which the presence of water is one possible explanation.
  • Cthulhu_ 13y ago
    As far as I can see, shadows being the other one. Depending on the time of day / position of the sun of course, so it should be easy enough to rule that one out.
    • Flenser 13y ago
      Could it also be explained by saltation[1]? If avalanches can behave like a fluid due to a saltation layer, and saltation can happen to sand particles in wind, then couldn't the streaks be caused by sand/wind instead of water? Any geologists reading that could offer an opinion? Would this part of the article support this hypothesis: > Some of the streaks seem to begin at the tops of ridges, too close to the surface to easily be explained by subsurface aquifers [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltation_(geology) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltation_(geology)
    • rlpb 13y ago
      It is also possible that there are a number of other explanations that nobody has considered. Ruling out shadows doesn't confirm water.