I've belatedly gone through all of these (at http://es.ucsc.edu/~fnimmo/website/mars2006.html ), and found:

(1) Natalie Cabrol on MER-A's observations of Gusev soil porosity using its Microscopic Imager: " The exposed material along the traverse indicates that in addition to a wetter climate in the past, the CHF [Columbia Hills Formation] benefited from an increased storage capacity compared to the [Gusev] Plains Formation. A water reservoir could have been accumulated within their topographical domain of influence in the early period and still drive the subsequent evolution of soils under drier climate conditions. Water stored underground in these areas in early geological times would have been frozen with cooling climates and freed during high-obliquity cycles...

"The morphological, physical, and sedimentological observations single out the CHF as a critical component of the water circulation history through time in the traversed region. They have already shown the clearest evidence of abundant water action associated to ancient geological eras. We suggest that they also directed, with the local structure, more recent flow circulation in the region of Gusev explored by Spirit, whether at the surface or the subsurface."

(2) A.J. Brown on the near-polar scientific targets for MRO's CRISM

(3) H.G. Sizemore on the fact that surface rocks and dust pools will affect the depth below the surface at which we can expect to find near-surface ice at the Phoenix landing site -- it will be a bit deeper below the soil underneath and near rocks, and closer to the surface near fine dust deposits.

(4) Domald Burr on evidence that the Cerberus Hills region -- apparent site of very recent Martian volcanism and of catastrophic water floods -- also shows many sings of gentler surface liquid-water outbursts.

(5) M.A. Chamberlain with a reanalysis of how close to the equator Martian surface ice could exist during the planet's high-obliquity periods -- namely, not as close as we thought. Even during its occasional peak obliquity periods of 45-50 degrees -- in which it becomes the third planet in the Sooar System "tipped onto its side" -- he thinks that surface ice doesn't get any closer to the equator than 30 degrees latitude in the south, and 15-20 degrees latitude in the north. We may have to change our vision of Mars repalcing its polar ice caps with an "equatorial ice belt" during such episodes, to one of Mars having two separate low-latitude ice belts with a gap between them.

(6) Harrison and Grimm conclude that Hesperian Mars got much more of the water for its enormous catastrophic outflows from meltwater running off the high-altitude Tharsis Bulge than it did from the south polar cap.

(7) Cynthia Phillips and Chris Chyba provide a brief new summary of the dark dune streaks that we occasionally see appear during the current orbiter missions. To repeat a question I asked last night: I wonder if these could be dry dust landslides triggered by frozen or adsorbed CO2 vaporizing out of the dune soil in spring? What latitude zones are they found at?

Bruce:

Interesting - and perhaps consistent with some of the slope failures/linear features we saw coming down from Husband Hill a few months back. I think that lenses of frozen ice might have persisted for a long time, and let to a range of movements (even if they're no longer there).

On the later discussions regarding ice deposition during more oblique epochs, I wonder how long such deposited volatiles might survive - that could be an interesting class of target for HiRise imaging... ...if anyone could figure out what a half-eroded snowdrift covered in dust would look like!

Bob Shaw