Volcanology of Mars through the crust to produce volcanic mountains. However, the largest volcano on the planet, Olympus Mons, is thought to have formed when the plates were not moving. Olympus Mons may have formed just after the plate motion stopped. The mare-like plains on Mars are roughly 3 to 3.5 billion years old. The giant shield volcanoes are younger, formed between 1 and 2 billion years ago. Olympus Mons may be "as young as 200 million years." Norman H. Sleep, professor of geophysics at Stanford University, described how the three volcanoes that form a line along the Tharsis Ridge may be extinct
Mars in culture in film. The theme of a Martian colony that fights for independence from Earth is a major plot element in the novels of Greg Bear as well as the movie "Total Recall" (based on a short story by Philip K. Dick) and the television series "Babylon 5". Some video games also use this element, including "Red Faction" and the "Zone of the Enders" series. Mars (and its moons) were also the setting for the popular "Doom" video game franchise and the later "Martian Gothic". Mars in culture Mars in culture is about the planet Mars in culture. For example, the