Interesting that the announcement of sheet silica, and calcium carbonate, as probable present minerals, and, active snow fall, is changing the history of this area in proven terms now. This is no longer a matter of conservative conjecture about the strictly dry, solid to gas process surmised from the pressure data of current history, and distant observations.
To give to the Martian north polar region a tag of 'water laden', although currently frozen, and climatically balanced between the Mars extremes at the present, with minerals that indicate a probable 'wet' past at times, even if the timing was very distant, should allow some re-interpretation of our observations of particle shapes.
Those hedging for an historically dry Mars, should be re-assessing the facts as they are added to the roster. Snow and fog are present currently in the weather transition season, and therefore affect the OM particles.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/phoenix_mars
Link, as above,for common news of Mars minerals once laden with liquid water as very probable.
As these particles are likely associated with airborne and impact ejecta sources, where can we find in the ice column samples of sedimentary runoff for this lander? Is this OM limited to a view of the wind, snow, and impact altered particles which would deny much of the north's history?