Olympus Mons

Today's VIS image shows the lower elevations of Olympus Mons. Near the bottom of the image is part of the escarpment that marks the edge of the volcano. The escarpment is a cliff face that can be up to 8km tall (5 miles). Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system, reaching heights over 40 km (25 miles) tall from base to summit, with the base covering an area as large as the state of Arizona. For comparison, Mauna Loa is 9 km (5.5 miles) tall measured from its base on the sea floor.