Tag Archives: Tharsis

THEMIS image: Olympus Mons escarpment

Posted on February 4, 2014 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, February 4, 2014. This VIS image shows part of the escarpment that encircles Olympus Mons. This image is located on the southeastern flank of the volcano.

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Dikes: key link between Thaumasia Planum, Tharsis, and Valles Marineris?

Posted on September 18, 2012 by rburnham

The area called Syria-Thaumasia is a big triangular block of Mars just east of three giant Tharsis volcanos: Arsia, Pavonis, and Ascraeus Montes. Valles Marineris bounds the block on the north, while its southwest and southeast sides are defined by … Continue reading →

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Touching Mars from Earth

Posted on August 28, 2012 by rburnham

Remote sensing of Mars usually happens when spacecraft sensors look down from orbit around the Red Planet. But sensors on Earth can also get in on the fun, especially when they actively reach out to the planet via radio waves. … Continue reading →

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“Olympic” ocean in Tharsis?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by rburnham

Two features of Olympus Mons have puzzled geologists since they were discovered decades ago. First are the “aureole” deposits, rough terrain extending as much as 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the volcano. And second is the scarp, about 8,000 meters … Continue reading →

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Mars mineral bonanza?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by rburnham

If you could go to only one location on Mars, where would you find the most complete assortment of known Martian minerals? A new report, with lead author Patrick Thollot (Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, CNRS), in the Journal of … Continue reading →

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Did Tharsis change its volcanic style?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by rburnham

Volcanic activity on Mars tends toward an “effusive” eruption style: it produces many low-profile, broad-skirted volcanos. These are made with sheets of runny lavas that flow like warm motor oil for long distances, spilling over and around obstacles or burying … Continue reading →

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Water-related minerals in Noctis Labyrinthus

Posted on September 8, 2011 by rburnham

Noctis Labyrinthus, created 2 to 3 billion years ago, is a sprawling network of intersecting valleys and troughs between the Tharsis volcanic highlands and Valles Marineris. Deep within its troughs, canyon walls and floors display beds of layered rocks and … Continue reading →

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Cracks in the basement

Posted on August 11, 2011 by rburnham

When geological forces open a crack in bedrock, molten magma can squeeze in and widen it, after which the magma cools and hardens in place. The result is a dike, and such features let geologists delve into an outcrop’s history … Continue reading →

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Hunting for young lava flows

Posted on June 1, 2011 by rburnham

The quest to find the youngest, most recent lava flows on Mars inevitably leads back to two highly volcanic regions: Elysium and especially Tharsis. A group of researchers led by Ernst Hauber (DLR, Berlin) has zeroed in on Tharsis. Ignoring … Continue reading →

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How to date a volcano

Posted on May 16, 2011 by rburnham

Without rock samples to analyze in a laboratory, how can you tell the age of a Martian volcano? A team led by Stuart Robbins (University of Colorado) used high-resolution images to count craters in the calderas (summit collapse pits) of … Continue reading →

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