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From NYT > Science:
Now, scientists will be able to tackle the main question they hope to answer: Did the ice ever melt and turn Mars into a habitable place?
In a photograph released Thursday evening of a trench that the Phoenix Mars lander has dug into the Martian soil, some white patches that were seen earlier in the week have shrunk, and eight small chunks have disappeared. Until now, scientists were not sure if the white material was ice or some kind of salt.
When exposed to air, water ice can change into water vapor, a process known as sublimation. Salt, on the other hand, is not capable of such a vanishing act.
"It must be ice," said Dr. Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona, the mission's principal investigator. "The whole science team thinks this. I think we feel this is definite proof that these are little chunks of icy material."
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