| Olympus Mons | |
 286k GIF - 89k JPEG Image processed by U.S. Geological Survey |
Olympus Mons towers 26 kilometers (16 miles) above the average surface elevation of Mars, but it is not the only volcano on the planet. Multiple collapse craters at the top of the volcano, and different age lava flows down the flank, show that the eruptions that produced the mountain took place over a long period, perhaps several hundred million years. |
| Ascraeus Mons | |
 238k GIF - 72k JPEG NASA image from Lunar and Planetary Institute |
The summit crater of Ascraeus Mons shows several generations of faulting and collapse from the upwelling and subsidence of magma beneath the crust. Similar to Olympus Mons, this volcano rises 26 kilometers (15 miles) above the average surface level of Mars, and it has blanketed surrounding terrain with lava flows. |
Volcanoes in the Ancient Highlands |
|
 219k GIF - 99k JPEG NASA image #77-H-16 |
Mars has seen a much more active history of volcanism than many of the planets. Volcanoes such as this one, in the highly cratered ancient terrain of the southern hemisphere, indicate that the planet began evolving very early. |
Seasons || Volcanoes
|| Canyons & Plains || Craters
|| Water? || Wind
The Surface of Mars
Mars and its Moons
|| Observation || Exploration
|| Viking Mission || Surface
Global View || Meteorite
|| Imagery || Links
Mars
