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Scientists have known for years that Mars is covered in glaciers that ooze down steep cliffs, roll over mesas, fill craters and flow through valleys but for a myriad of reasons, geologists can t just go to Mars and start excavating on these glaciers. Plus, even if they could, these glaciers are buried deep in boulder debris. They are topped with rocks, dust, and sand, like Oreo crumbs sprinkled over a big serving of vanilla ice cream, said Dr. Joe Levy, an assistant professor of geology at Colgate University, in an email to Salon. That blanket of debris acts like an insulator, keeping the ice cold and preventing it from sublimating away as water vapor.