Led by Brown University geologist John Mustard, who helped co-author a paper published in Nature, Mustard said there was water flowing on Mars for the first 600 to 700 million years of the planet's existence.  The wet conditions likely were present on Mars for much of the planet's history, said scientists who are now able to provide stronger evidence to support their theories.  

Specifically, the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was able to make the discovery after analyzing as many as 500 colors in the reflected sunlight off the Martian surface.  The discovery was made in large clay mineral rock deposits that were likely created by flowing water and large bodies of water, scientists said.

This clay, called phyllosilicates, were first discovered by French researchers in 2005, and since then, researchers have been anxious to have another shot at learning more about the interesting material found in craters, delta formations, dunes, and valleys.  The water on Mars seems to have vanished quickly, but researchers still are not entirely sure what caused it to disappear so quickly.

With the help of satellites, rovers, and landers, researchers have been able to slowly piece together a clearer image of the makeup of Mars.  The Mars Phoenix Lander recently discovered ice crumbs after creating a small valley in the surface of the Martian surface.  Even though the possibility of water is nothing new, the discovery by CRISM shocked researchers because of how long lasting the water on Mars seems to be.

"The water was not only there, but it was there abundantly and remained long enough to affect the mineralogy of the planet," Browns University researcher Scott Murchie told the San Francisco Chronicle recently. The water could have been there the same time water was on Earth, "when the first living organisms emerged and left their fossils that we find today."

Space nations have put a higher emphasis into studying the Red Planet, hoping to one day launch manned missions to Mars.

All of the recent research makes it more possible that life existed at some point on Mars, although researchers still do not believe they will be able to find living material on the Martian surface.