Figure 2: Distribution of (meta)stable brines on the Martian surface.

The total number of hours, in terms of percent of the Martian year (shown in color), a (a) magnesium perchlorate and (b) calcium perchlorate brine formed by deliquescence can exist on the Martian surface, as constrained by the MarsWRF predicted surface environment. Areas where such brines can not form and persist are shown as the background, gray, shaded relief map based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data. The latitude range is restricted to non-polar regions.