Glaciers formed much of the observable surface in large areas of Mars.
 Much of the area in high latitudes, especially the Ismenius Lacus quadrangle, is believed to still contain enormous amounts of water ice.
 In March 2010, scientists released the results of a radar study of an area called Deuteronilus Mensae that found widespread evidence of ice lying beneath a few meters of rock debris.
The ice was probably deposited as snowfall during an earlier climate when the poles were tilted more.
 It would be difficult to take a hike on the fretted terrain where glaciers are common because the surface is folded, pitted, and often covered with linear striations.
 The striations show the direction of movement.
 Much of this rough texture is due to sublimation of buried ice.
 The ice goes directly into a gas (this process is called sublimation) and leaves behind an empty space.
 Overlying material then collapses into the void.
 Glaciers are not pure ice; they contain dirt and rocks.
 At times, they will dump their load of materials into ridges.
 Such ridges are called moraines.
 Some places on Mars have groups of ridges that are twisted around; this may have been due to more movement after the ridges were put into place.
 Sometimes chunks of ice fall from the glacier and get buried in the land surface.
 When they melt, a more or less round hole remains.
 On Earth we call these features kettles or kettle holes.
Mendon Ponds Park in upstate New York has preserved several of these kettles.
 The picture from HiRISE below shows possible kettles in Moreux Crater.
Glaciers formed much of the observable surface in large areas of Mars.  Much of the area in high latitudes, especially the Ismenius Lacus quadrangle, is believed to still contain enormous amounts of water ice.  In March 2010, scientists released the results of a radar study of an area called Deuteronilus Mensae that found widespread evidence of ice lying beneath a few meters of rock debris. The ice was probably deposited as snowfall during an earlier climate when the poles were tilted more.  It would be difficult to take a hike on the fretted terrain where glaciers are common because the surface is folded, pitted, and often covered with linear striations.  The striations show the direction of movement.  Much of this rough texture is due to sublimation of buried ice.  The ice goes directly into a gas (this process is called sublimation) and leaves behind an empty space.  Overlying material then collapses into the void.  Glaciers are not pure ice; they contain dirt and rocks.  At times, they will dump their load of materials into ridges.  Such ridges are called moraines.  Some places on Mars have groups of ridges that are twisted around; this may have been due to more movement after the ridges were put into place.  Sometimes chunks of ice fall from the glacier and get buried in the land surface.  When they melt, a more or less round hole remains.  On Earth we call these features kettles or kettle holes.Mendon Ponds Park in upstate New York has preserved several of these kettles.  The picture from HiRISE below shows possible kettles in Moreux Crater.
Ismenius Lacus quadrangle