Large Volcanic Dome Field on the Moon

Robotic exploration missions provide NASA vast amounts of data to prepate for future human exploration missions and learn more about the universe. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO) Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) delivers elevation and surface roughness measurements of the moon.



The LOLA topographic image shows the Marius Hills located in Oceanus Procellarum. Marius Hills is the largest volcanic dome field on the moon. These volcanic domes range from 200-500 m in height. In comparison, the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa, which is the largest shield volcano on Earth, is 17,170 m tall. The region is an area of high interest because it contains approximately half of the moon's known volcanic domes.

LRO and LOLA will orbit the moon for the next two to three years.

Better information about the lunar topography will enable future mission planners to make informed decisions about mission options and technology development.

Source: NASA