Mesa on Mars, satellite image. This mesa on Mars has a pitted surface due to processes involving the sublimation of ice deposits causing degradation of the rocks. A mesa is an elevated area of land with a flat top and steep sides. It is usually formed by erosion of the surrounding rocks, and this mesa may be the last remnants of a more extensive formation. This image, published in 2013, was obtained by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) satellite.