Antarctic salty soil sucks water out of atmosphere: Could it happen on Mars?(J. Levy, AG Fountain, K Welch and BW Lyons)

As posted:
he frigid McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are a cold, polar desert, yet the sandy soils there are frequently dotted with moist patches in the spring despite a lack of snowmelt and no possibility of rain.

A new study, led by an Oregon State University geologist, has found that that the salty soils in the region actually suck moisture out of the atmosphere, raising the possibility that such a process could take place on Mars or on other planets.