Of course I understand the difference, but I don't use the words the way you do and don't see how you can misuse them that way.

An example:

If my car was dented in the parking lot, and I looked at the dent I could only claim that there was evidence that I had been hit by a white car, if there was white paint on the dent. (and even then it might not have been a car, but some other white vehicle). (or if a reliable witness actually observed the collision and reported it to me or obtained a photograph)

So on Mars, there is only *evidence* for water in the flows if there is some distinctive characteristic that could ONLY be caused by water.

I have spent a long time explaining and arguing the case that the usual "evidence" is NOT diagnostic and therefore is not evidence at all. It is a red herring.

What do I mean by the "usual evidence"?

- Channel morphology
- Meanders
- Distributory fans at the terminus
- Levees
- Tributory alcove at the top

All of these are often claimed to be diagnostic of a subaerial flow of water. This is total Cowdust. See these links for gully-like morphologies almost identical to those on Mars, but formed underwater on earth by density flows.

oblique view
Zoom

(have a rummage on this website. There are a LOT of spectacular images of the seabed and lakebeds on Earth. The lake Tahoe debris slides are good analogues for Martian chaos zones, too)

Start here

So based on this "evidence" do I claim that the flows on Mars formed underwater in a global ocean in recent times? No, of course I do not and cannot. We all know that modern Mars is too cold and dry for that. Instead, I suspect that we *may* be seeing evidence for CO2-based density flows on modern Mars that are somewhat like and somewhat unlike the density flows in the oceans of Earth (turbidity currents).

Now you are free to have your own interpretation of what formed the gullies but you cannot claim EVIDENCE for water unless it is unambiguous and clear that ONLY water could have left the "evidence".

Unless you have an ace up your sleeve, I suspect you cannot.