Hi Kye,On the Blue Forum Marsbug came up...

Hi Kye,
On the Blue Forum Marsbug came up with an interesting concept to explain the clumping effect and reduced stickiness of the soil once exposed to the atmosphere. Well worth a read.

Marsbug,
I'm not sure that the liquid film at the ice/vapour interface at depressed temperatures holds true. For sublimation at these temperatures H dangling bonds would seem to be the formation mechanism.