Abstract
Olympus Mons, one of the largest known shield volcanoes in the Solar System, covers an area of >3.2 × 105 km2and has a diameter of >600 km, excluding its vast aureole deposits. The structure is five times larger than the largest shield volcano on the Earth. It is situated on the north-west flank of the Tharsis volcanic region, a broad topographic rise on the martian surface. The volcano has three physical subdivisions: the summit caldera, the terraced upper flanks, and the lower flanks, which terminate in a scarp 2–10 km high that nearly surrounds the structure. A large block of images of the Tharsis region, including Olympus Mons, was obtained by the Viking mission1. Here we present a topographic map of Olympus Mons, compiled using various combinations of stereo pairs of these images, together with stereoscopic perspective views generated by image processing techniques.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carr, M. H., Greeley, R., Blasius, K. R., Guest, J. E. & Murray, J. B. J. geophys. Res. 82, 3985–4015 (1977).
Wu, S. S. C., Garcia, P. A. Jordan, R. & Schafer, F. J. 3rd int. Colloq. Mars, LPI Contr. 441, 287–289 (1981).
Wu, S. S. C. Elassal, A. A., Jordan, R. & Schafer, F. J. Planet. Space Sci. 30, 45–55 (1982).
Batson, R. M., Hall, D. G. & Edwards, K. NASA TM-80339, 415 (1979).
Arthur, D. W. G. Photogram. Rec. 8, 617–630 (1976).
Blasius, K. R. J. geophys. Res. 78, 4411–4423 (1973).
Blasius, K. R., Roberts, W. J., Cutts, J. A., Duxbury, T. C. & Glackin, D. L. 10th A. Div. planet. Sci./Am. Ass. Adv. Sci. Meet., Pasadena, 4 (1978).
Blasius, K. R. & Cutts, J. A. Icarus 45, 87–112 (1981).
Davies, M. E. Icarus 21, 230–235 (1974).
Davies, M. E. & Arthur, D. W. G. J. geophys. Res. 78, 4355–4394 (1973).
Hord, C. W., Barth, C. A. & Stewart, A. I. Icarus 17, 443–456 (1972).
Wu, S. S. C., Schafer, F. J., Nakata, G. M., Jordan, R. & Blasius, K. R. J. geophys. Res. 78, 4405–4410 (1973).
Wu, S. S. C. Int. Rev. Ann. Geophys. Cent. Nat. Rech. Scient. AGEPA 7-37-(1)-1-259, 147–160 (1981).
Topographic Map of Mars US Geological Survey, I-961, (1976).
Wu, S. S. C. US geol. Surv. Interagency Rep. 63 (1975).
Wu, S. S. C. Icarus 33, 417–442 (1978).
Carr, M. H. J. geophys. Res. 78, 4049–4062 (1973).
Plescia, J. B. & Saunders, R. S. NASA TM-80339, 241–243 (1979).
Carr, M. H. Scient. Am. 234, 32–43 (1975).
Morris, E. C. 3rd Int. Colloq. Mars, LPI Cont. 441, 161–162 (1981).
Lopes, R. M. C. & Guest, J. E. NASA TM-81776, 176–178 (1976).
Wu, S. S. C., Garcia, P. A., Jordan, R. & Schafer, F. J. NASA TM-84211, 141–143 (1981).
Pike, R. J. & Rozema, W. J. Ann. Ass. Am. Geogr. 65, 499–516 (1975).
Rowan, L. C., McCauley, J. F. & Holm, E. A. US geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 599-G, 32 (1971).
Bealty, J. K. Sky Telescope 420–422 (1982).
Hiller, K. H., Janle, P., Neukum, G. P. O., Guest, J. E. & Lopes, R. M. C. J. geophys. Res. 87, 9905–9915 (1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, S., Garcia, P., Jordan, R. et al. Topography of the shield volcano, Olympus Mons on Mars. Nature 309, 432–435 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/309432a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/309432a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Landform evolution of Tharsis Montes and Olympus Mons of Mars: Insights from morphometric, hypsometric and chronologic evidences
Journal of Earth System Science (2021)
-
An immense shield volcano within the Shatsky Rise oceanic plateau, northwest Pacific Ocean
Nature Geoscience (2013)
-
Evolution of the Olympus Mons Caldera, Mars
Bulletin of Volcanology (1992)
-
Gravity studies of the Tharsis area on Mars
Earth, Moon and Planets (1991)