Olympus mons
Olympus Mons is a massive shield volcano located on Mars and is recognized as the tallest mountain in the solar system. Standing at approximately 84,400 feet (25,750 meters) high, it is nearly three times taller than Mount Everest and spans about 374 miles (600 kilometers) across, roughly equivalent to the size of the state of Arizona. Named after the mythical home of the Greek gods, Olympus Mons was first observed in the late 1800s, but its true enormity was only revealed in the 1970s when NASA's Mariner 9 space probe provided detailed images. The volcano has a complex caldera at its summit, measuring about 53 miles (85 kilometers) wide, and is surrounded by steep cliffs reaching up to 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) in height.
Despite not having erupted in millions of years, scientists speculate that Olympus Mons could still be volcanically active, making it a subject of ongoing interest for researchers. The formation of this colossal volcano is attributed to the slow accumulation of lava over billions of years, with its relatively young geological age suggesting potential for future eruptions. Explorations of Olympus Mons have sparked interest among scientists and adventurers, with discussions of future missions to Mars that might include climbing this remarkable geological feature.
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Olympus mons
Olympus Mons is a large volcano on the planet Mars and the tallest mountain in the solar system. Named after the mythological home of the Greek Gods, Olympus Mons is almost three times taller than Mount Everest and roughly the size of the state of Arizona. Astronomers first observed the mountain from Earth in the late nineteenth century, though its true size was not discovered until a space probe visited Mars in the 1970s. Despite the fact that Olympus Mons has not erupted in millions of years, scientists believe the volcano may still be active.
Background
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system and the second closest planet to Earth. At the closest possible point in the planets' orbits, Earth and Mars would be about 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) apart. The average distance between the planets is about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers). The diameter of Mars is about 4,219 miles (6,790 kilometers), slightly larger than half of Earth's diameter. Its gravity is about one-third that of Earth, and temperatures on Mars average about –81 degrees Fahrenheit (–63 degrees Celsius). It takes about 687 days for Mars to make one orbit around the Sun.
The soil of Mars contains large amounts of iron oxide, which gives the planet its distinctive red color. The ancient Chinese referred to Mars as the fire star, while the Egyptians called it Her Desher, a name meaning "the red one." The planet's red color reminded the Romans of blood and inspired them to name it after Mars, the god of war.
In 1879, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli began observing Mars through a telescope. He made detailed observations about the planet and named its geographical features. He noted a number of dark markings criss-crossing the surface and called them canali, which means "channel" in Italian. The public misinterpreted the term as "canals," which led to speculation that the planet was inhabited. Further observations revealed Mars to be a cold, dry world similar to a desert on Earth. The canali turned out to be nothing more than optical illusions. Although scientists have discovered some liquid water on Mars, most of the surface water remains trapped in ice.
Overview
Among his observations, Schiaparelli noticed a small white spot that he theorized was the snow-covered top of a mountain. He named the spot Nix Olympica, a Latin term meaning "Snows of Olympus." In 1971, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sent the Mariner 9 space probe into orbit around Mars. Mariner 9 observed Nix Olympica and noticed the mountain was an immense volcano—far larger than previously thought. To reflect its newfound status, astronomers renamed it Olympus Mons, Latin for "Mount Olympus," the legendary home of Zeus and the pantheon of Greek gods.
Olympus Mons is known as a shield volcano because its shape resembles a knight's shield. It was formed over millions of years by the slow accumulation of lava. Because Mars is not as geologically active as the Earth, its crust remains relatively stationary. As a result, lava flowing to the surface would continue to build up in a single spot. Martian volcanoes formed in this manner tend to be large and have gradually sloping sides.
Olympus Mons is one of four large volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes region just north of the Martian equator. While it is the biggest of the four, the other three—Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons—are also larger than the highest mountain on Earth. Olympus Mons stands about 84,400 feet (25,750 meters) high, a height of about 16 miles (25.7 kilometers) above the surrounding terrain. When the Martian surface is obscured by clouds or dust, the top of Olympus Mons can often be seen above the clouds. The volcano stretches to a width of 374 miles (600 kilometers), about the size of Arizona. In contrast, the highest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, reaches a height of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level, or about 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometers).
At the top of Olympus Mons, six collapsed lava chambers form a giant crater about 53 miles (85 kilometers) wide, comparable to the size of Rhode Island. The volcano is surrounded by a cliff about 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) high. In geological terms, Olympus Mons is relatively young. Some scientists believe it may be the youngest volcanic feature on Mars. It formed over the course of billions of years, but its last eruption is thought to have been only about twenty-five million years ago, fueling speculation that it may still be active. The top of the volcano may have glaciers that hold water trapped as ice in a layer of soil.
NASA and other space agencies have sent more than forty probes to Mars since the 1960s. Some remained in orbit while others landed on the planet's surface. Because of the challenges posed by the mountainous terrain, no probes have been able to land near Olympus Mons. NASA has been contemplating a human mission to Mars, but as of the early twenty-first century, the capability to accomplish the feat was still decades away.
That has not stopped Earth-based scientists and adventurers from speculating what it would be like to climb the solar system's highest peak. In 2017, a company called 4th Planet Logistics sought to map a potential route up the volcano using virtual reality. The company also secured the use of a lava tube in Iceland to test equipment for a future mission. In 1994, an organization in the United Kingdom called the Earth & Space Foundation established several prizes to be awarded to future pioneers exploring Mars. One of the prizes will be awarded to the first person or group to successfully scale Olympus Mons.
Bibliography
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Dunford, Bill. "Mars: In Depth." NASA, solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/indepth. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
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Morris, Elliot C., and Kenneth L. Tanaka. "Geologic Maps of the Olympus Mons Region of Mars." United States Geological Survey, 1994, pubs.usgs.gov/imap/2327/report.pdf. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"Olympus Mons." National Aeronautics and Space Administration, mars.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/atlas/olympus-mons.html. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
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