Collapsing volcano; edge of Olympus Mons

This image -- taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on March 2, 2010 -- covers the northern edge of the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons on Mars.

The margin of Olympus Mons is defined by a massive cliff many kilometers tall. At this location, it is nearly 7 kilometers tall. The cliff exposes the guts of the volcano, revealing interbedded hard and soft layers. The hard layers are lava and the soft layers may be dust or volcanic ash.