See a 14-mile high volcano
Witness this monster of a Martian supervolcano – the tallest peak in the Solar System
Olympus Mons holds some impressive titles, including the tallest known peak in the Solar System at 22 kilometres (14 miles) from base to tip and a diameter of around 624 kilometres (374 miles). That’s nearly the same size as France and about the same size as the US state of Arizona.
It has a caldera to match its enormous expanse: at around 80 kilometres (50 miles) in diameter, these six collapsed magma chambers form a single crater-like depression that’s large enough to comfortably hold one of the biggest cities in the world by area, New York, with plenty of room to spare.
And the volume of Olympus Mons is equally huge at around 100 times that of the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa, which is enough to contain the entire Hawaiian archipelago from Hawaii to Kauai, in fact.
You can read more about the Martian super volcano Olympus Mons and other Wonders of Mars in issue 17 of All About Space Magazine, on sale now from the Apple iTunes Newsstand for just £2.49 – download the All About Space app now!
Alternatively, you can pick up a print copy of All About Space issue 17 for £3.99 from any good newsagent.