Tharsis Tholus

Tharsis Tholus
THEMIS daytime IR mosaic of Tharsis Tholus. The western and eastern flanks of the volcano have been sites of large-scale flank collapse events.[1] An irregular caldera is present in the center.
Feature typeShield volcano
LocationTharsis quadrangle
Coordinates13°15′N 90°41′W / 13.25°N 90.69°W / 13.25; -90.69[2]
Peak9 km above datum
DiscovererMariner 9

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[3] and originally given the informal name Volcano 7.[4] In 1973, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially designated it Tharsis Tholus.[2] In planetary geology, tholus (pl. tholi) is the term for a small domical mountain, usually a volcano.[5]

  1. ^ Platz, T.; Münn, S.; Walter, T. R.; Procter, J. N.; McGuire, P. C.; Dumke, A.; Neukum, G. (2011-05-15). "Vertical and lateral collapse of Tharsis Tholus, Mars". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 305 (3–4): 445–455. Bibcode:2011E&PSL.305..445P. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.03.012.
  2. ^ a b Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/5949
  3. ^ Carr, M.H. (1973). Volcanism on Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 78(20), p. 4050, Fig. 1.
  4. ^ National Geographic (1973) Mars Map Supplement; February, 143(2), p. 255A.
  5. ^ Hartmann, W.K. (2003). A Traveler's Guide to Mars: The Mysterious Landscapes of the Red Planet; Workman: New York, p. 28.