In planetary geology, a tholus is a small domical mountain or hill. The word is from the Greek θόλος, which means a circular building with a conical or vaulted roof. The Romans transliterated the word into the Latin tholus, which means cupola or dome. In the early 1970s, the International Astronomical Union adopted tholus as one of a number of official descriptor terms for topographic features on Mars and other planets and satellites. One justification for using neutral Latin or Greek descriptors was that it allowed features to be named and described before their geology or geomorphology could be determined. For example, many tholi appear to be volcanic in origin, but the term does not imply a specific geologic origin. Currently, the IAU recognizes 55 descriptor terms. Tholi are present on Venus, Mars, and on Jupiter's moon Io. ⁕ Map of the Tharsis quadrangle showing major features, several of which are tholi. Tharsis contains many volcanoes, including Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in the solar system. ⁕ 2001 Mars Odyssey THEMIS mosaic of Ceraunius Tholus and Uranius Tholus. Ceraunius Tholus is about as high as Earth's Mount Everest. Wikipedia [ - ]

In planetary geology, a tholus is a small domical mountain or hill. The word is from the Greek... [ + ]