Did you know the tallest volcano in the solar system is on Mars? Meet Olympus Mons, towering at 22 kilometers—nearly three times the height of Mount Everest! Its base? A whopping 600 kilometers across, about the size of Arizona! At the summit, there’s a giant caldera, 80 kilometers wide, created by multiple volcanic activities. With slopes averaging just 5 degrees, this gentle giant is a classic shield volcano, formed from low-viscosity lava. Olympus Mons is so massive, it creates a gravitational anomaly, influencing the orbits of nearby moons and spacecraft! Located in the Tharsis region, it’s surrounded by other colossal volcanoes like Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Ascraeus Mons. Its height means the summit rises above most of Mars’s atmosphere, creating unique clouds as air flows over it. Studied by missions like Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey, Olympus Mons is a treasure trove of Martian geology!
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