Olympus Mons: The Second Highest Mountain in our Solar System

Our search for knowledge about the Universe is still in its infancy, and we are regularly surprised by new discoveries. We still have many mysteries to solve, even here in our own little corner of the Universe that we call the Solar system.

Characteristics

Olympus is the second highest mountain in the Solar system. While it is difficult for scientists to say whether Olympus is one of the highest in the Universe, but they were able to describe it in detail and even create a detailed model. The height, according to the most accurate measurements to date, is 27 kilometers-this is more than 3 times higher than our famous mount Djomogulma or Everest.

Olympus has huge cliffs that have an interesting theory of origin. Many scientists believe that they were formed due to the ocean that once existed on Mars. However, many representatives of the scientific world refute this theory, because the Solar system is extremely poor in terms of water resources represented in liquid form. The size of the basin of mount Olympus is striking. Its length exceeds 85 kilometers, and its width is approaching 60 kilometers. Even the largest volcano on Earth can boast a diameter of only 6.5 kilometers. Therefore, Olympus is not just high, but really huge.

Is it mountain or volcano?

As follows from those photos and videos obtained from space research stations, the highest mountain on Mars-mount Olympus, in its shape and external contours of its top, is more similar to a giant extinct volcano than to some remnant of a mountain range. There is a lot of evidence for this.

First, the Olympus Mons, like any extinct volcano, has a strictly conical shape and its slopes in this case are on average 7 km high, starting from the base.

Second, an almost correctly formed base of a Diametric shape with a diameter of more than 500 km.

Third, like any volcano, Olympus on Mars has its own caldera or vent, through which, once upon a time, volcanic magma and lava erupted. The size of this caldera is also impressive — 86 km long and 60 km wide. Moreover, the depth of the crater also makes you feel the power of this, though extinct, volcano-more than 3 kilometers.

Where is it located?

Olympus is located in a region of Mars called Tharsis (or Tharsis). There are other volcanoes near it (Ascraeus and Pavonis), but they are significantly smaller than it. The entire area around the volcano is covered with small mountains and ridges. This mountain system is called the Halo of Olympus. The diameter of the Halo exceeds a thousand kilometers, and its origin is not clear to scientists until now. According to one version, this is evidence of glacial activity. On the other — these are the destroyed slopes of Olympus, which was once even larger. The halo of Olympus is subject to strong winds. Photos of the surrounding areas of Olympus show that the mountains and ridges are stretched in one direction, most likely in the direction of the sandstorms that are raging here.

Originally published at https://science.zeba.academy on December 11, 2020.