Scientists believe that the MFF was most likely formed by the windblown dust or volcanic ash. The formatic could have formed after volcanic activity estimates have taken place up to 2.8 million years ago. Images of the area show raised areas that scientists thought in the past might contain dust blown around the planet by wind over many years. But the new research uses newer data collected by the orbiter's Mars instrument. It says subsurface radar sound with a 40 meter long antenna. The tool looks for water on the surface as well as up to five kilometers below the surface. The Mars instrument is designed to send radio waves to an area scientists choose. It then attempts to listen to and examine echoes produced by the radio waves. The echo waves help researchers cognize where the water or ice might be, NASA explains. Scientists say any water identified near the surface results in stronger signal while the percentage of the ice or other material would produce weaker signals.

As the team said, Mars's readings suggest the MFF area of Mars contains a large amount of water or ice rather than windblown dust. Thomas Waters of the U.S. Institution led the new research. His team's findings were recently published in a study in the Geographic Research Ladders, he said.

In a statement, the radar data showed the deposits in the MFF area were even thicker than earlier measurements estimates had shown. The researchers said the data showed the examined deposit is extended by half of the Mars surface band up to 2.7 kilometers. Waters added that since the discovery was made in an area near the Martian equator, it becomes considered a good place for future exploration missions. He explained with the lower evaluation the MFF area would be considered an ideal landing spot for spacecraft. Such an evaluation provides more atmosphere to support an effective controlled landing weather set.