The Kieffer model, the researchers concluded, was an accurate representation of the processes that produce, not just the spiders, but other seasonal features that appear on the surface of Mars. In future research, the team hopes to fine-tune and adapt their experiments to understand these features and their formation in greater detail.

Space probes have captured images of intriguing spider-like formations on Mars. NASA has put forth a theory on what created these huge patterns.

Mars is home to strange spider-shaped geologic formations known as the araneiform terrain, which are found mostly in the southern hemisphere.

NASA has recreated Mars' iconic "spiders" in a first-of-its-kind lab experiment, and you can watch it happen in this video.

These spiders, known as araneiforms, are made from dust and appear only in the southern polar region of Mars in the planet's spring. Scientists haven't known much about their formation, including how they come about every Martian year.