  Spicules have been proposed as significant contributors to the mass and
energy balance of the corona. While previous observations have provided a
glimpse of short-lived transient brightenings in the corona that are associated
with spicules, these observations have been contested and are the subject of a
vigorous debate both on the modeling and the observational side. Therefore, it
remains unclear whether plasma is heated to coronal temperatures in association
with spicules. We use high-resolution observations of the chromosphere and
transition region with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and of
the corona with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar
Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to show evidence of the formation of coronal
structures associated with spicular mass ejections and heating of plasma to
transition region and coronal temperatures. Our observations suggest that a
significant fraction of the highly dynamic loop fan environment associated with
plage regions may be the result of the formation of such new coronal strands, a
process that previously had been interpreted as the propagation of transient
propagating coronal disturbances (PCD)s. Our observations are supported by 2.5D
radiative MHD simulations that show heating to coronal temperatures in
association with spicules. Our results suggest that heating and strong flows
play an important role in maintaining the substructure of loop fans, in
addition to the waves that permeate this low coronal environment.
