The topography of the Tharsis region
The topography of the Tharsis region
The Tharsis region is a bulge more than four thousand metres high and is roughly the size of North America. It is located at the transition from the southern highlands to the northern lowlands. Its origin has not been conclusively clarified, but the volcanic and tectonic character makes it seem likely that large magma bubbles rising from the planet's mantle have pressed against the brittle crust from below and lifted Tharsis over time. This resulted in volcanoes and enormous expansion structures. In addition to the three striking Tharsis volcanoes (Tharsis Montes) and Olympus Mons, the huge Alba Patera volcanic complex is also part of the Tharsis region. The colour scale for this topographical map illustrates the enormous differences in altitude compared to the surrounding area of Tharsis. The framed box marks the area imaged by Mars Express during orbit 25,000.
