Mars Volcano Apollinaris Patera
Explanation:
Dwarfed by
Olympus Mons
and the other immense shield
volcanos on Mars,
Apollinaris Patera rises only 3 miles or so
into the thin martian atmosphere,
but bright
water-ice clouds can be still be seen
hovering around its summit.
Mars' volcanic structures known
as "paterae" are
not only smaller than
its shield volcanos but older as well,
with ages estimated to be around 3 billion years.
Like Apollinaris Patera, narrow furrows typically extend from
their central craters or
calderas.
It is thought that the paterae represent broad piles of
easily eroded volcanic ash.
This wide angle view of
Apollinaris Patera was recorded last month
by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.
The large central crater is about
50 miles across.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
