Olympus Mons vents over a long period of time (The Hawaiian Islands exemplify similar shield volcanoes on a smaller scale – see Mauna Kea). Like the basalt volcanoes on Earth, Martian basaltic volcanoes are capable of erupting enormous quantities of ash. Due to the reduced gravity of Mars compared to Earth, there are lesser buoyant forces on the magma rising out of the crust. In addition, the magma chambers are thought to be much larger and deeper than the ones found on Earth. The flanks of Olympus Mons are made up of innumerable lava flows and channels. Many of the flows have
Olympus Mountain Running Olympus Mountain Running Since 1986, nearly every year, various initiators organize marathons in the Olympus Mountains in Greece. For these Olympus Marathons the classic distance of 42.195 kilometers provides a clue to the distance of some of the runs in the Olympus. Starting in 2010, events established that surpass the classic marathon distance. In some races, runners run over distances of 57 km, 70 km or almost 100 km. At the stations along the route, the runners are provided with drinks and snacks and mostly medical aid. They are offered water, electrolytic drinks, bananas, salty biscuits, sandwiches, chocolates and more.