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Roger Weller, geology instructor

wellerr@cochise.edu

Olympus Mons, Mars
by Kelley Paskell
Physical Geology
Fall 2011                  

                                                              Olympus Mons, Mars

 

Olympus Mons is a shield volcano on Mars. At about 14 miles high it is the highest volcano on Mars and the tallest known mountain in the solar system. Olympus Mons is three times the height of Mt Everest and the base area of Olympus Mons covers an area approximately the size of Arizona. The slope of the volcano is so gradual that if you were standing on top of it, you wouldn’t even know that you were on a mountain. The lava flows on Olympus Mons range in age from 115 million years old to 2 million years old. Olympus Mons was formed from mass quantities of basaltic lave erupting continuously, the same way the Hawaiian volcanoes were formed. Mars lacks tectonic activity which allows volcanoes to grow taller than if they were on Earth since instead of moving they’re sitting stationary over a hotspot, erupting lava and growing.
 

            Olympus Mons was discovered in the early 19^th century because it is tall enough to be observed over the dust storms of Mars. In 1971 when the Mariner 9 arrived to orbit Mars during a dust storm the first thing to be seen as the dust began to settle was the top of Olympus Mons.

 

 

A comparison of the largest mountains on Earth, Venus and Mars.
 

 



An airbrushed painting of Olympus Mons based on images from the Viking orbiters.
 

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_Mons

http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/olympus/mons.html

Pictures:

http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/olympus/mons.html

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solar/marsoly.html

http://wolgemuthe.psd401.net

http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com

http://www.geokem.com/martian.html