Mars From Afar
Plains
Like certain high-latitude areas in the Northern Hemisphere on
Earth, the northern plains of Mars often show patterned ground.
Whether this stippled surface indicates ground ice, as
similar-looking surfaces do in parts of Alaska, Canada, and Siberia,
is unknown. In this image, taken at a latitude of 72.4°N, the
dark dots and lines are low mounds and chains of mounds,
respectively. Note the buried impact crater in the center of the
image, which is about 1.9 miles across.