A lot of everybody is familiar with Olympus Mons, the largest volcano on Mars and likewise the biggest in the Solar System. There are several other huge shield volcanoes on Mars. The second biggest is Ascraeus Mons, and new images from ESAs Mars Express spacecraft expose some intriguing features on the side or flank of the mountain.
Ascraeus Mons is the northern most and tallest of 3 prominent volcanoes discovered in the Tharsis area of Mars, a volcanic plateau in Mars western hemisphere.
This oblique or sideways perspective view shows the southern flanks of Ascraeus Mons, the second-tallest volcano on Mars.Deep, irregular cracks in the Martian surface area can be seen snaking toward the video camera. These are part of a group of functions collectively named Ascraeus Chasmata, which encompasses a huge spot of collapsed surface over 70 km throughout.
Ascraeus Mons is the northernmost and highest of three popular volcanoes discovered in the Tharsis area of Mars, a volcanic plateau in Mars western hemisphere. Ascraeus Mons reaches a towering 18 km (11.2 miles) in height however its slopes are mild, with an average slope of 7 degrees. This sluggish climb is reflected in the volcanos substantial base diameter of 480 km, giving it a footprint roughly the size of Romania on Earth.
Martian volcanoes in the Tharsis region. Credit: NASA/JPL
Relatively, Olympus Mons is 25 km (16 miles) high and 624 km (374 miles) in size, (approximately the exact same size as the state of Arizona). In The World, Mauna Kea in Hawaii has an elevation of 4,205 meters (13,796 feet); nevertheless, the base of the volcano is about 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) below water level. If Mauna Kea is measured from the base of the volcano on the ocean flooring to the top, it is over 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) high.
Mars Express has been orbiting the Red Planet considering that 2003, imaging Mars surface, mapping its minerals, recognizing the structure and flow of its rare atmosphere, while likewise probing underneath its crust, and exploring how various phenomena connect in the Martian environment.
Adapted from a post originally released on Universe Today.
For more on this subject, see Mars Mega Volcano: Ascraeus Mons Rugged Terrain.
This image from ESAs Mars Express reveals the southern flanks of Ascraeus Mons, the second-tallest volcano on Mars. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin
The Mars Express spacecraft has exposed remarkable features on Ascraeus Mons, Mars second-largest guard volcano. The images depict areas of collapsed underground lava circulations and sinuous channels, covering a 70 km area, contributing to our understanding of Martian volcanism.
A lot of everybody is familiar with Olympus Mons, the largest volcano on Mars and also the largest in the Solar System. But there are several other huge shield volcanoes on Mars. The 2nd biggest is Ascraeus Mons, and new images from ESAs Mars Express spacecraft expose some fascinating features on the side or flank of the mountain.
The images show regions where underground lava streams emptied out of tubes or chambers, which then collapsed into chains of craters. There are also smaller sized snakelike channels called “sinuous rilles,” which meander in a curved course like a river. They are frequently believed to be the remains of smaller sized collapsed lava tubes, however scientists are still unsure how they form. In all, these large and dramatic cracks on the lower southern flank of Ascraeus Mons– which are collectively called Ascraeus Chasmata– cover a massive location of over 70 km (43 miles) across.
