I would dispute many of the assertations that Mars had an early warm and wet epoch - at least on the surface that we see now. My work suggests that Mars' oceans disappeared even before the major impacts that formed the Hellas and Isidis basins, and abefore Tharsis grew. IMHO, all traces of that early wet Mars are now smashed to fragments and pulverised into the regolith.

I'm aware that this is not the mainstream opinion but be aware that any ideas about early Mars (mine included) are just that - ideas, speculation, and opinion. We just don't have enough rock samples to really know the data, and we certainly have problems with our mental filters in interpreting the observations.

In my way of looking at Mars, springtime has yet to come. One day the polecaps WILL melt and there will be oceans and lakes, as the Sun warms up. This will be the first liquid water that the surface of the dry planet has seen for billions of years (other than the 'flood" valleys where there are still a few different options, including acid brines and relatively fresh subsurface water).

One day it will rain again on Mars.

You know that sound and smell as the first drops of rain hit baked desert earth after a long drought. The ground sighs and sizzles and hisses, and the air fills with a rich mushroomy compost smell.

Imagine the first rains on Mars after 4 billion years...