It was only five months ago that the presence of water ice on Mars was confirmed. Then in July the discovery of eroded cliffs compatible with giant waterfalls. In August atmospheric water was manifested by the appearance of frost. Now immense glaciers half a mile thick have been documented.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has used ground-penetrating radar to confirm the presence of the glaciers. They are covered by rocky debris, which has prevented the ice from sublimating into the atmosphere.
One implication of the finding is that a core sample of the ice could provide documentation of the history of the Martian climate. Another possibility is the finding of evidence of life, by which they mean extremophile microbes. But it's more fun to imagine the disovery of a Martian Otzi.
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