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Tharsis Tholus
Tholus on Mars
Tharsis Tholus is an intermediate-sized shield volcano located in the eastern Tharsis region of the planet Mars. The volcano was discovered by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1972 and originally given the informal name Volcano 7. In 1973, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially designated it Tharsis Tholus.
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In planetary geology, tholus (pl. tholi) is the term for a small domical mountain, usually a volcano. Tharsis Tholus lies on the eastern edge of the Tharsis quadrangle at 13.5°N, 91°W. It is about 800 km east-northeast of Ascraeus Mons, the northernmost of the large Tharsis Montes volcanoes. Lava from the Tharsis Montes and other sources within the interior of Tharsis completely surrounds Tharsis Tholus, forming a broad volcanic plain at the volcano's base. Tharsis Tholus measures 155 km x 125 km. It is distinctly bulbous in appearance, and is unique among Martian volcanoes in the degree to which it has been modified by faulting. Large normal faults cut across and completely penetrate the volcano, dividing the edifice into several major blocks, or sectors.
Text: Wikipédia, CC BY-SA 4.0. · Image: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Arizona State University (Public domain) ·