The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been studying "spider-like" structures on the surface of the Red Planet.

These strange structures are located in the south pole of Mars and may be related to changes in seasons. NASA explained that the transition to spring causes thawing of the bottom part of the polar ice caps and a build-up of carbon dioxide carves deep terrain channels.

The "araneiform" or spider terrains are made of many channels connecting at one point and thus appearing like the insects' long legs.

Planetary scientist Meg Schwamb of the Gemini Observatory revealed that the "trapped carbon dioxide gas that carves the spiders in the ground also breaks through the thawing ice sheet. It lofts dust and dirt that local winds then sculpt into hundreds of thousands of dark fans that are observe from orbit."

The new findings suggest that the carves may be related to the erodibility of the area. Volunteers have confirmed that spider terrains exist on grounds made of materials from impact craters.

Volunteers who help in the examination of the Martian surface use Context Camera (CTX) to gather images.

Using the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, high-resolution photos of the arachnid-looking surfaces are anticipated.

Candice Hansen, the deputy principal investigator of the HiRISE camera, expressed joy to see many members of the public contributing to the study Mars. She said that "thanks to the discovery power of so many people, we're using HiRISE to take images of places we might not have studied without this assistance."