Olympus Mons Archives - Astrobiology

Gravity map of Mars. The red circles show prominent volcanoes on Mars and the black circles show impact crates with a diameter larger than a few 100 km. A gravity high signal is located in the volcanic Tharsis Region (the red area in the centre right of the image), which is surrounded by a ring of negative gravity anomaly (shown in blue). Credit: Root et al.

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Gravity Study Gives Insights into Hidden Features Beneath Lost Ocean of Mars and Rising Olympus Mons

by Keith CowingSeptember 17, 2024September 17, 2024

Studies of gravity variations at Mars have revealed dense, large-scale structures hidden beneath the sediment layers of a lost ocean. The analysis, which combines models and data from multiple missions, […]

This image shows lava crumpled against the upstream side of an impact crater in in Elysium Planitia. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return

Researchers Have Identified The Craters Where The Majority Of Martian Meteorites Most Likely Originate

by Keith CowingAugust 19, 2024August 20, 2024

An international research team has identified the specific origins of most of the Martian meteorites that are now on Earth. They’ve traced the meteorites to five craters where they were […]

This image shows frost on the caldera floor of the Ceraunius Tholus volcano. -- ESA (Larger Image)

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release

ExoMars Observes Water Frost On The Caldera Floor of the Ceraunius Tholus Volcano

by Keith CowingJuly 2, 2024July 1, 2024

Researchers have discovered frost atop volcanoes near Mars’s equator for the first time – a part of the planet where it was thought impossible for frost to form. The finding […]

NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter captured this single image of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, on March 11, 2024. Besides providing an unprecedented view of the volcano, the image helps scientists study different layers of material in the Martian atmosphere, including clouds and dust. Larger imagery

Astrogeology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Mars Odyssey’s Orbital View Of Olympus Mons As It Nears 100,000 Orbits

by Keith CowingJune 28, 2024June 28, 2024

Editor’s note: According to this recent posting Newfound Frost Atop The Martian Volcano Olympus Mons: “This high-resolution image shows newly discovered frost at the top of Olympus Mons, the tallest […]

This rectangular slice of Mars shows the terrain atop Mars’s volcano Olympus Mons. Rippled, uneven, stepped terrain can be seen, with different illuminations. The right-hand side of the image is blue-toned, representing the newly discovered water ice frost. -- Credits: ESA/TGO/CaSSIS; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO larger image

Mars, Press Release

Newfound Frost Atop The Martian Volcano Olympus Mons

by Keith CowingJune 20, 2024June 20, 2024

This high-resolution image shows newly discovered frost at the top of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano not only on Mars but in the entire Solar System. The frost appears blue […]

This simulated perspective oblique view shows Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano not only on Mars but in the entire solar system. The volcano measures some 600 km across. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (A. Valantinas)

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release

Water Frost Detected On The Tharsis Volcanoes On Mars

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2024June 11, 2024

An international team of planetary scientists has detected patches of water frost sitting atop the Tharsis volcanoes on Mars, which are not only the tallest volcanic mountains on the Red […]