The nutrients found through the collection and testing process of the Phoenix Mars Lander corroborated with the ice crystals also found in the soil of the planet’s northern hemisphere are a clear indication that there was once water on Mars.

The research team working whit NASA is now trying to determine whether Mars could support, or ever has supported, life.

The discovery was described as “spectacular” by William Boynton, Phoenix co-investigator of the University of Arizona and TEGA scientist. He said that, based on the recent findings, one can clearly say that Mars’ soil has clearly interacted with water in the past.

"We don't know whether that interaction occurred in this particular area in the northern polar region, or whether it might have happened elsewhere and blown up to this area as dust," he added.

NASA scientists said that the preliminary analysis made by the Phoenix Mars Lander’s instruments on a sample of soil scooped up by the spacecraft's robotic arm indicated the soil to be much more alkaline than expected. It seems that the soil on the Red Planet contains the requirements, the nutrients, to support life whether past present or future," said lead investigator Sam Kounaves.

"It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard, you know, alkaline.” He added.

The 1 cubic meter (35 cubic feet) of soil scooped up from 1 inch bellow the planet’s surface had a 8 or 9 pH (alkaline) level. The findings left all the Phoenix researchers “flabbergasted” as Kounaves put it. The scientists added that Mars’ soil does not contain anything that would prevent life and there is nothing toxic about it. In fact, the Martian soil which contained traces of magnesium, sodium, potassium and other elements, seems to be very similar to that found in Antarctica's dry upper valleys.

"Over time, I've come to the conclusion that the amazing thing about Mars is not that it's an alien world, but that in many aspects, like mineralogy, it's very much like Earth," said Kounaves.

Last week, scientist said they were provided by the Phoenix Mars Lander’s instruments with facts certifying that there was ice on Mars. The Lander’s robotic arm dug out eight dice-sized chunks, which could be seen in a series of photographs.

Finding out traces of ice on Mars was really exciting for the Phoenix scientist, but when they found out the Martian soil’s pH levels, one of the scientists "jumped up and down as if he had the winning lottery ticket," said Michael Hecht, the mission soil analysis specialist.

However, scientist said that despite the pH levels similar to Earth’s soil, the composition of the Martian soil could change at deeper levels below the surface.

The $420 million Phoenix Mars Lander touched down in the northern pole of mars on May 25 after a 10-month journey from Earth. This is the first such experiment done on any planet other than Earth and its objective is to find out whether water and life ever exited there.