Tharsis

Tharsis, sometimes known as the Tharsis Bulge, is a prominent geological feature of Mars' Western Hemisphere. It consists of a massive Volcanic Plateau featuring three enormous shield volcanoes, linearly spaced ~700km apart from each other, known collectively as the Tharsis Montes. These volcanoes are among the largest in the Sol System, second only to Olympus Mons which sits on the periphery of Tharsis to the Northwest. A fifth volcano, Ascraeus Mons is located on the Northern end of Tharsis. The massive canyon system known as Valles Marineris cuts through Tharsis, starting at Noctis Labyrinthus around the geological center of Tharsis, and running Eastward.
Tharsis alone is about as massive as the dwarf planet Ceres, and has a significant impact on the planet's gravitational mechanics. It is believed that Tharsis migrated over billions of years from Northern latitudes to its current equatorial location through a process known as true polar wander. This shift would have resulted in drastic climate changes for the regions of ancient Mars.

Type

Landmass

Location under

Mars

Included Locations

• Olympia