Tharsis

The Tharsis region is a very large area on the planet Mars with a surface area of about 4 million square kilometers. It was named after the ancient city and kingdom of Tartessos on the Iberian Peninsula, to which may be associated with the biblical land of Tarshish.

Its center lies to the west of the Valles Marineris system grave in the amount of the Mars equator.

Description

The Tharsis region rises like a bulge on the Martian surface, protrude from the mighty shield volcanoes. The largest are Olympus Mons, Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons and Arsia Mons, Biblis Patera smaller are about in the West or Ulysses Patera in the center.

Geology

Obviously, the Tharsis region and Valles Marineris formed during the geological " Middle Ages" of Mars ( the Hesperianischen period) from common than the outer rocky crust of the planet was bulged by the internal forces. The volcanoes in the region were active for very long periods and have gone about 100 million years. During the active phase enormous lava were released that made extensive plains, as Amazonis Planitia, west of Olympus Mons.

However, cooled lava flows were detected on the Olympus Mons, which should be about two million years old. This would be a proof that the volcano has erupted geologically short time ago and possibly undergoes only a resting phase.

A conjecture states that this volcanic activity was triggered by an impact event, the point of impact basins Hellas Planitia which is on the opposite side of Mars.

More images

West side of Jove Tholus, THEMIS image

Ceraunius and Uranius Tholus