The Edge of Olympus Mons
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
The Edge of Olympus Mons
PSP_005019_1970  Science Theme: Volcanic Processes

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The bottom of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, is marked by a steep scarp. It is likely that this scarp is the result of the deformation and collapse of the volcano under its own weight.

The scarp exposes the internal structure of the volcano, revealing a stack of once deeply buried lava layers. Atop the lava flows is a thick layer of relatively weak and homogeneous material, that might be volcanic ash or dust carried by dust storms. The pit near the center of the image shows that the same basic layering extends for some distance up the flank of the volcano.

The pit must be more recent than the dust/ash layer since the pit cuts through that layer. While it is possible that the pit is very recent, this suggests that the mantling layer is quite old.

Written by: Laszlo P. Keszthelyi  (5 September 2007)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_005441_1970.
 
Acquisition date
22 August 2007

Local Mars time
14:18

Latitude (centered)
17.028°

Longitude (East)
221.427°

Spacecraft altitude
271.5 km (168.7 miles)

Original image scale range
27.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~82 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
2.9°

Phase angle
53.7°

Solar incidence angle
51°, with the Sun about 39° above the horizon

Solar longitude
300.2°, Northern Winter

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  318.7°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
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Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (617MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (238MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
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map-projected  (231MB)
non-map           (371MB)

IRB color
map projected  (71MB)
non-map           (252MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (142MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (136MB)

RGB color
non map           (244MB)
ANAGLYPHS
Map-projected, reduced-resolution
Full resolution JP2 download
Anaglyph details page

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.