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Key Information

Mars – Olympus Mons

Type Volcano (Shield Volcano)
Height (Elevation) 13.6 miles
Height (Prominence) 16 miles
Other Names Nix Olympica

Learning Point

  • As the largest known volcano in our Solar System, Olympus Mons is a volcano on a truly massive scale. It would almost fill the countries of Poland and France, and stands taller than Mount Everest. It was discovered late in the 1800s, and was identified as a mountain even back then.

Project

  • Find out what a shield volcano is, and why that contributes to Olympus Mons being so big.
  • Overview
  • Comparison to Poland
  • Height Comparison
Olympus Mons
ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA IGO 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, via Wikimedia Commons
Size of Olympus Mons compared to Poland
Poland_location_map.svg: NordNordWestOlympus_Mons_alt.jpg: Image by NASA, modifications by Seddonderivative work: Szczureq, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Olympus Mons Horizontal View
Resident Mario, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Location

Located in Solar System, orbiting the Sun

Fun Facts

  • It is two and a half times higher than Mount Everest, standing at 13.6 miles high, although it is 16 miles higher than the surrounding low lying plains.
  • Though the biggest, it is the youngest volcano on Mars.
  • Mars is thought to have more lava and magma reserves that are deeper than those on Earth.
  • It was originally called Nix Olympica meaning Olympic Snow.

Past Lessons

71 November 27, 2023 (North America)
No Past Lessons

Upcoming Lessons

No Upcoming Lessons