Was the largest volcano in our solar system surrounded by water?

The tallest volcano in our solar system is called Olympus Mons. It is located on Mars and is 21.9 kilometers high. Scientists are now convinced that Olympus Mons may have once been surrounded by water, so it could have been an island in a vast ocean.

Mars is full of secrets. New things are constantly being discovered, some even being deciphered. Now it is said that the Martian volcano Olympus Mons is not only the highest in our solar system, but was also washed by a huge ocean. It could have once been a volcanic island. These also exist on Earth – for example in Hawaii.

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A Martian volcano of gigantic proportions

Record dimensions: Olympus Mons on Mars is a truly gigantic volcano. Its height is more than 21 kilometers, and its base diameter is about 600 kilometers. Scientists at Paris-Saclay University now want to discover that Olympus was once a mythical volcanic island. This makes it even more exciting because it is said that the volcano was located in the middle of a huge ocean.

According to “Senex”, suspicions arose when researchers led by Anthony Hildenbrand claimed to have recognized rupture edges in photos of the volcano, which were said to be caused by the load of the massive mountain six kilometers above the base. “We believe that the upper edge of the six-kilometre-high cliff was formed by lava that flowed into liquid water,” the scientists conveyed their explanations in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Glowing lava colliding with cool sea water creates similar cliffs on volcanic islands on Earth. Although it is much smaller.

The XXL volcano on Mars is said to have appeared about three billion years ago. At a time when there was still water on Mars. Wherever there was water, there could also be life. In Hildenbrand’s view, Mount Olympus would be an interesting target for future Mars missions. The scientists suggest that “the coastlines we hypothesize can be dated using radiometric methods.” “They would also be exceptionally good targets for searching for traces of early water on Mars, providing insight into the evolution and fate of the Martian oceans over time.”