The Meridani Plains Were Chosen as the Landing Site for the Mars

The Meridani Plains were chosen as the landing site for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity because

A) we believe this region was once filled with water
B) remote sensing measurements from the Mars Odyssey orbiter indicate that larger than average deposits of water ice are present beneath the surface
C) of its proximity to the Tharsis region
D) remote sensing measurements from the Mars Odyssey orbiter indicate that deposits of the mineral hematite (which commonly forms in water) are present