Volcanism of Mars

Martian volcanism is reviewed, showing that Mars is a volatile-rich planet. The differences between volcanoes on the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars are noted. The nature of Martian lava, nonvolcanic plains, and pyroclastic volcanism on Mars are examined. The volcanoes of Tharsis, the major volcanic region on the planet, are discussed, including a detailed description of two volcanoes, Olympus Mons and Arsia Mons. The interaction of volcanism and volatiles is considered. It is found that water was the key volatile in the formation of Martian volcanoes