A glacier flows much like a river. The movement of glaciers is measured in meters per year instead of meters per minute, as is the case with rivers. Some planetary geologists say that glaciers would explain the odd upward sloping regions on Mars. Water flows downhill, rather than uphill. Only water fueled by a tremendous force would flow uphill, but this movement is very limited.
Glaciers however can move uphill for long periods of time, covering large distances.
Permafrost is also believed to be a factor in distorting the Martian terrain. Stephen W. Squyers of Cornell University believes that permafrost was a factor in the formation of odd meteorite craters. Impact craters on Mars usually have sharp, clear-cut walls, like those found on the Moon. Squyers believes that permafrost may have caused this erosion. The ice in permafrost, much like the ice in glaciers, carries particles of soil it surrounds as it flows.