Small Floral-Shaped Volcano

This is a small volcano superimposed on the flanks of a larger one of the Cerberus Tholi.
April 1, 2012
CreditNASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
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This is a small volcano superimposed on the flanks of a larger one of the Cerberus Tholi.

This smaller feature has a single vent opening, aligned along a Cerberus Fossae trough, and it has lava flows radiating away from this vent in all directions, resembling a flower.

These flows appear somewhat darker than their surroundings, though this might be due to roughness as much as to the flow’s relative youth. Note that there are some small impact craters superimposed on this feature, indicating that these flows are not entirely young.