February 7, 2022
Mars has the largest volcano that we know of – Olympus Mons. This volcano covers approximately the same area as Arizona or France. Additionally, it is 16 miles high, which is about 3 times as tall as Mount Everest. Although the geologic origins of this volcano remain a mystery, scientists know that the low gravity on Mars is part of what allows volcanoes to grow to such massive sizes relative to Earth.
Olympus Mons relative to Arizona. Image credit: https://mars.nasa.gov/gallery/atlas/images/oly-az.jpg. Orbital image of Mars showing Olympus Mons, clouds and dust storms. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems.