Mars probes find more frozen water.

Northern ice boosts search for ancient life.

"Two false-color images show epithermal neutron flux during winter (left) and summer
(right) in Mars' northern hemisphere. Dark blue hints at the presence of water ice. The
north pole is covered by frozen carbon dioxide in winter, but a summer "thaw" reveals the frozen water beneath."
http://www.msnbc.com/news/931744.asp?0cv=TA00
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Key fact of this research:
Note that the light blue area near the equator, indicating moderately large amounts of water, is LARGER during the Winter than the Summer.
This indicates a seasonal effect to this near equatorial water. Then this water near the equator is really free water, not water in chemically bound form.
It had been argued that the water seen by Odyssey close to the equator could not be ice or liquid water because it was believed the Martian equator was desiccated.
Note as well that this implies the higher temperatures during the Summer, which can exceed 80 degreees Fahrenheit near equator, must make this water evaporate and that is why there is less water during the Summer.
It would be interesting to find out if there are visual differences in this area according to season as well.

Bob Clark