Feature type

Shield Volcano

A broad, gently-sloping volcano built by fluid lava flows. On Mars, low gravity and a stationary crust let shield volcanoes grow to enormous size — Olympus Mons is the tallest in the Solar System.

In brief

A broad volcano built by fluid lava.

Examples of this feature

Tharsis MontesSurface feature
Mars · Three volcanoes on a continent-sized bulge
A chain of three vast shield volcanoes on the Tharsis rise, a bulge so large it may have tilted the whole planet. Tharsis dominates the western hemisphere of Mars.

Olympus Mons

Knowledge connections

Group includesTharsis Montes
Group includesOlympus Mons

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.