Why do Earth and Mars have such different-looking volcanoes?
Quick Answer
Mars has giant broad shield volcanoes because its lower gravity and lack of plate tectonics let lava pile up in one place for a very long time. Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the Solar System.
The Full Story
Mars does not have Earth-like plate tectonics, so a hotspot can keep feeding lava to the same location for millions of years. Because Mars has lower gravity, lava can spread out and build enormous wide volcanoes instead of tall, narrow cones. Olympus Mons rises about 22 km above the Martian plains and is roughly 600 km across. On Earth, moving tectonic plates usually carry volcanoes away from their magma source, limiting their size. Mars preserves these giant volcanic structures because its crust is much less active.
Key Facts
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"Mars built volcanoes so huge they dwarf mountains on Earth!"
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