Many characteristics of Mars, including ice, are similar to Earth, paper says

"The interesting thing is, the soil has a potential energy source and oxygen source for life on Mars," he notes.

Traces of calcite were also found, which shows a presence of liquid water at some time in the past, Lemmon notes.

Phoenix also found weather patterns similar to those on Earth, including cold fronts that bring in gusty winds and sub-freezing temperatures.

Another bonus: Phoenix saw small Martian snowflakes, which leads the team to believe that snowfall on Mars was once a common occurrence.

"To sum it up, we found a place on Mars that is similar to cold, dry environments on Earth, and those environments are capable of supporting life," Lemmon explains.

"There are numerous signs of a history of water on Mars. The snowflakes indicate to us that there are weather patterns on Mars similar to those on Earth. Phoenix has given us valuable insights into Martian weather and soil, and it gives us clues as to how we should proceed with future investigations of Mars."

Contact: Mark Lemmon at (979) 458-8098 or cell phone at (979) 777-2831 or or Keith Randall at (979) 845-4644 or

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