Overview map of the Acheron Fossae north of Olympus Mons
Overview map of the Acheron Fossae north of Olympus Mons
With a diameter of 600 kilometres and a height of approximately 22 kilometres, Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the Solar System. Now inactive, this shield volcano marks the northwestern boundary of the Tharsis region (to the south and east) and the northern lowlands (to the north and west). Tharsis itself is a volcanic raised plateau roughly the size of Europe and up to six kilometres high.
To the north of Olympus Mons lies the crescent-shaped aureole of Acheron Fossae, a region characterised by striking tectonic extension fractures. The landscapes shown in this article are located in the small rectangular area in the northern portion of the HRSC image (large rectangle) acquired during orbit 26,287 of ESA's Mars Express mission.
