These rounded, mysterious mounds occur along the floor of a depression in northern Arabia Terra. The mound surface has many parallel troughs that contain light-toned transverse aeolian (e.g., formed by the wind) ridges oriented perpendicular to the trough walls.

The resolution of this image will help assess the nature and grain size of the sediment that makes up these mounds and whether layering is present, ultimately helping to constrain the environment in which these mounds formed.

Written by: Sharon Wilson (audio: Tre Gibbs)   (10 February 2016)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_043201_2160 .

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_043834_2160

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona