Olympus Mons rises about 22 km above the Martian plains. It is so wide, about 600 km, that if you stood on it the slope would vanish past the horizon.
Truth label: Established. Strong evidence and broad agreement among experts.
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Why so big?
Mars has no moving tectonic plates, so lava kept piling up in one spot for millions of years.
Gentle slopes
The sides average only about five degrees. You could walk up most of it.
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- Low gravity. Mars's gravity is about a third of Earth's, letting mountains grow taller without collapsing.
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Why could Olympus Mons grow so tall?
No moving plates. Lava piled up in one place for ages.
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