You ’re reckon at an image of Tharsis Tholus , an extinct Martian vent that by Earthly standard is positively massive : towering 8 kilometer above its wall terrain , the dormant behemoth ’s improbable peak almost matches that of Mt. Everest .
But compare to other Martian volcano , Tharsis Tholus is of pretty average height . What makes it special is its bizarre , battered status , reveal here through the use of colouration - coded topographic labeling . Hi - res epitome after the leap .
fit in to the European Space Agency :
express here in figure taken by the HRSC high - resolving stereo system camera on ESA ’s Mars Express spacecraft , the volcanic building has been marked by dramatic outcome .
At least two big section have collapsed around its easterly and westerly flanks during its four - billion - year account and these cataclysm are now visible as scarps up to several kilometres high .
The primary feature film of Tharsis Tholus is , however , the caldera in its nitty-gritty .
It has an almost round outline , about 32 x 34 km , and is ringed by shift that have allow the caldera base to lessen by as much as 2.7 kilometre .
It is thought that the volcano emptied its magma chamber during eruptions and , as the lava range out onto the aerofoil , the chamber roof was no loner able to underpin its own weight .
So , the vent collapse , forming the large caldera .
harmonise to ESA , elevation data is color coded , with empurpled indicating the lowest lie regions and beige the gamy .
[ ESA ]
MarsScienceSpace
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