Two European spacecraft have captured remarkable images of Mars’ south polar region, revealing a variety of cryptic surface features. These formations, detected as spring begins in the southern hemisphere of Mars, offer scientists valuable insights into the planet’s freeze-thaw cycles and the unique geological processes at work. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express and Trace Gas Orbiter observed these formations in the Australe Scopuli region, where layers of ice and dust create strange patterns that stand out from the surrounding icy terrain. The Mystery of Cryptic TerrainThe cryptic terr…