Large deposits of water have been discovered on Mars

If all the ice in Medusae Fossae were to melt, the planet would be covered by a layer of water between 1.5 and 2.7 metres, which is the volume of the Red Sea. The size and location of the ice deposits make them potentially very valuable for future Mars exploration, including as a resource for possible colonies. For now, however, this reservoir is inaccessible because it is covered by a layer of regolith several hundred metres thick.

Earlier, scientists at the Planetary Institute determined the maximum timeframe for the appearance of Martian valley networks formed by flowing water. The erosion occurred very slowly and could cover hundreds of millions of years.