Orcus Patera is an enigmatic elliptical depression located between the volcanoes of Elysium Mons and Olympus Mons.This well-defined depression extends approximately 380 km by 140 km in a NNE–SSW direction.
It has a rim that rises up to 1800 m above the surrounding plains, while the floor of the depression lies 400–600 m below the surroundings.
The term ‘patera’ is used for deep, complex or irregularly shaped volcanic craters such as the Hadriaca Patera and Tyrrhena Patera at the north-eastern margin of the Hellas impact basin. However, despite its name and the fact that it is positioned near volcanoes, the actual origin of Orcus Patera remains unclear.
Credits: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
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