Today’s Video of the Day from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains how gigantic mountains formed on Mars.
One mountain in particular, Olympus Mons, is over twice the height of Mt. Everest at 69,000 feet.
Mars does not have tectonic plates that move over hot spots, so a single volcano can collect magma that continues to pile up. The lower gravity on Mars can help this magma to achieve incredible heights.
—
By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer
Video Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory