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Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons (Latin, "Mount Olympus") is the tallest known mountain in our solar system, located on the planet Mars. The central ediface[?] is 27 kilometres (88,600 feet) high and 540 km (335 miles) in width, with a crater that is 85 km (53 miles) in diametre.

Olympus Mons is an apparently extinct shield volcano, the result of highly fluid magma flowing out of volcanic vents over a long period of time, and is much wider than it is tall; the average slope of Olympus Mons' flanks is very gradual. The Hawaiian islands are an example of similar shield volcanoes on a smaller scale; see Mauna Loa.

Olympus Mons is located in the Tharsis bulge[?], a huge swelling in the Martian surface that bears numerous other large volcanic features. Among them are a chain of lesser shield volcanoes including Arsia Mons[?], Pavonis Mons[?] and Ascraeus Mons[?], which are small only in comparison to Olympus Mons itself.

Olympus Mons is located at approximately 135°W by 20°N.



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