![](mgs2/nov10-4-s.jpg) |
This figure shows the cross-sectional relief of the Olympus
Mons shield volcano as measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter
(MOLA). The profile was collected by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft
while in a 35-hour long elliptical orbit, during periapsis pass 24. Olympus
Mons, the largest known volcano in the solar system, has a diameter of
approximately 400 miles. This profile missed the volcano summit, but indicates
that the full dynamic height of the volcano should be about 16 miles (25
kilometers). For comparison, Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth,
is less than half the height of Olympus Mons. The profile shows the north
flank of the volcano, which has collapsed and formed a rugged aureole nearly
300 miles across. The detailed topography provided by MOLA will be used
to understand the mechanism for the collapse. The spatial resolution of
the profile is approximately 1000 feet (330 meters) and the vertical resolution
is approximately 16 inches (40 centimeters). The vertical exaggeration
in the plot is 40:1. (Credit: MOLA Science Team).
|