When viewed from orbit, the picture appears to show dozens of little figures assembled on a tabletop surface.
Up-close, however, the “unearthly scene” reveals a large collection of ice-covered dunes.
Ken Herkenhoff from the University of Arizona said: “It’s spring in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, and the polar region is still blanketed by seasonal carbon dioxide frost – dry ice.
“This image shows an area near the sane sea – called an ‘erg’ – that is surrounding the water ice-rich layered deposits.
“The many bumps are sand dunes less than 100m across that are mostly covered by seasonal frost, appearing in a manner that looks artificial but is a natural consequence of the wind patterns in the region.”