Cratered cones near Hephaestus Fossae

Cratered cones near Hephaestus Fossae, Mars. This might look at first glance like a cinder cone, but it is more likely an impact crater. Using the shadow, one can tell that its floor is at a lower elevation than the surrounding landscape. A cinder cone would rise above the landscape. 

Cinder cones (otherwise known as scoria cones) are the most common type of volcano on Earth. They’re also one of the smallest. They can often be found growing on larger volcanoes, in which case they’re dubbed as ‘parasitic.’ Cinder cones form when gaseous, fragmented volcano ejecta—called tephra or ‘cinder’—accumulates around the vent and welds together. They usually have a bowl-shaped crater at their summit.

While cinder cones abound on Earth, they have been harder to find on Mars. At least, they’re not as easily identified as the massive shield volcanoes such as Olympus Mons. Several structures might resemble cinder cones but with further investigation prove to be something different. Identifying a cinder cone on Mars is not just a matter of morphology. One should ask, for example, whether the structure is in an area of volcanic activity or has evidence of lava flows.

While cinder cones abound on Earth, they have been harder to find on Mars. At least, they’re not as easily identified as the massive shield volcanoes such as Olympus Mons. Several structures might resemble cinder cones but with further investigation prove to be something different. Identifying a cinder cone on Mars is not just a matter of morphology. One should ask, for example, whether the structure is in an area of volcanic activity or has evidence of lava flows.