Olympus Mons in 3D

Mars · the summit caldera rim

Tharsis region, Mars

Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano known in the solar system, about two and a half times the height of Everest above sea level. This 3D walk puts you on the rim of its summit caldera, a nest of collapse pits left when magma chambers drained, with the far wall dropping almost three kilometres to the floor. Its slopes are so gentle that the base, some 300 km away, is out of sight.

Where: Tharsis region, Mars
Height: About 21.9 km above the Martian datum
Summit caldera: About 80 km across; walls up to 2.8 km
Footprints: None: every landing so far was in the lowlands

Walk Olympus Mons in 3D

A real-time 3D model, shaped to published NASA and USGS elevation measurements. Loads 1.4 MB when you start.

Works in VR on Meta Quest and other WebXR headsets: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR.

Walk it yourself. Works on this phone.

Part of the Beyond Earth pack: a one-time unlock in this browser.

Shaped to NASA and USGS elevation measurements · a 3D reconstruction, not a photograph

Hear the guide

The narrator from the app reads each tour stop. Transcripts below.

The caldera wall
Known0:16

The ground drops about 2.8 km from this rim to the caldera floor. The whole summit caldera is some 80 km across, a nest of collapse pits left when magma chambers drained.
21.9 km above the datum
Known0:20

Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano known in the solar system, about two and a half times the height of Everest above sea level. Its slopes are so gentle that from here you could not see its base: it is 300 km away.
Nobody has stood here
Known0:14

This is a reconstruction from NASA orbital elevation data. Mars has no footprints above its deserts yet: every surface mission so far landed in the lowlands.

How we built it

A procedural model shaped to published NASA and USGS orbital elevation measurements (MOLA). It is a reconstruction, not a photograph.

Open Olympus Mons in Farstep

The full site on your phone: a narrated guided tour, passport stamps, offline, and smoother graphics than a browser can give.

Narrated guided tour, stop by stop, in nine languages
Passport stamps for every hotspot and finished tour
Works offline once installed
Stonehenge free; other sites are one-time packs. No ads, no subscription.

Open in Farstep

Get it onGoogle Play Download on theApp Store

On iPhone the button opens the App Store.

Olympus Mons: questions and answers

How tall is Olympus Mons?

About 21.9 km above the Martian datum, roughly two and a half times the height of Everest above sea level. Its summit caldera is about 80 km across.

Could you see the summit of Olympus Mons from its base?

No. Its slopes are so gentle and its base so wide, some 600 km across, that the summit stays below the horizon from the edge.

Can I walk around Olympus Mons in 3D?

Yes, in your browser. Everything on this page is free to read. Walking Olympus Mons in 3D is part of the Beyond Earth pack: a one-time purchase with no subscription, and signing in with the same account unlocks it in the Farstep app too.

Can I walk Olympus Mons in VR?

Yes, on a Meta Quest or another WebXR headset: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR. The left stick walks, the right stick turns and the trigger opens the fact cards.