#mars volcano

[krakenmare]

Lava Flows On Ascraeus Mons Volcano, Mars (April 28, 1998)

[zespaceblog]

Olympus Mons

The largest Volcano in the Solar System isn't on Earth, it's on the planet Mars, so large that it literally sticks out of the planet.

At 21.9km (13.6 miles high) above the average surface level or 72,000 ft, it's higher than most commercial aircraft by twice, so when you next travel somewhere, just imagine you're only half way up !

The entire structure could just about fit into France, and is the most prominent object on Mars, as the image at the top from the Hope probe(UAE) shows.

The volcano isn't caused by tectonic plates as many on Earth, rather it's more like the Hawaii Islands, where a hot spot on the crust allows lava to push upwards and create shield volcano. Due to the lower gravity on Mars, the process seems to have been supersized.

(Mauna Kea in Hawaii)

[zespaceblog]

The Martian Bear

Sometimes our idiotic human brain just cannot see what's really there, rather, preferring to see what our ancestors needed to see.

Pareidolia aside, this has to be one of my recent favourites, it's true that the pattern alerts all the wrong neurons, but it also draws us to the further questions. Ok, it's not really a bear, so what on Mars is it ?

The MRO posted the image last month, and what it's actually showing I'll quote the HiRISE chief scientist.

“There is a mound with a V-shaped collapse structure (the nose), two fossae (the eyes), and a circular fracture pattern (the head),” says HiRISE chief scientist Alfred MacEwen. “The circular pattern of the fracture could be due to sediment being deposited on a buried impact crater. Perhaps the nose is a volcanic or mud vent and the sediment could be lava or mudflows?”

Of course, it could be that Bears evolved elsewhere, came to Earth before humanity got going, and thought they'd draw a funny image to drive the monkeys mad, but I'll probably go with chief scientist.

[spacettf]

Possible Cinder Cone on the Southern Flank of Pavonis Mons by NASAJPL on Flickr.

Via Flickr: Originally released May 30, 2007 This image is centered on a small cone on the side of one of Mars' giant shield volcanoes. The cone shows some layers of hard rock but most of it is made of relatively soft material. This appears to be an example of a "cinder" cone composed of pieces of lava thrown into the air during a small volcanic eruption.