Perspective view of the steep slope on Olympus Mons
Perspective view of the steep slope on Olympus Mons
The circumferential scarp of the 22-kilometre-high volcano is unique and some sections are up to nine kilometres high. In some places, it has been partially overflown by lava emanating from the upper shield and elsewhere its base has been partially buried by external lava flows. Where geological processes have not modified the scarp, the slope inclination exceeds 20 degrees. A number of both pointed and flat-topped blocks or mesas can be seen emerging from the surrounding lava field. These blocks were either rotated or uplifted when the outer flanks of Olympus Mons collapsed to form the scarp. Realistic perspective views of the surface of Mars can be generated from data acquired by the stereo and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, which are oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the planet's surface.
Copyright note:
As a joint undertaking by DLR, ESA and FU Berlin, the Mars Express HRSC images are published under a Creative Commons licence since December 2014: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. This licence will also apply to all HRSC images released to date.