The Tharsis quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The Tharsis quadrangle is also referred to as MC-9 .
The name Tharsis refers to a land mentioned in the Bible. It may be at the location of the old town of Tartessus at the mouth of Guadalquivir.
Image of the Tharsis Quadrangle (MC-9). The region contains the Olympus Mons, Ascraeus Mons and Pavonis Mons, three of the four largest shield volanoes on Mars. The north-central part contains Ceraunius Fossae.
2001 Mars Odyssey THEMIS mosaic of Uranius Tholus (upper volcano) and Ceraunius Tholus (lower volcano). The latter is about as high as Earth's Mount Everest.
2001 Mars Odyssey THEMIS mosaic of Tharsis Tholus
Western part of Jovis Tholus, as seen by THEMIS
Tharsis is a vast volcanic plateau centered near the equator in the western hemisphere of Mars. The region is home to the largest volcanoes in the Solar System, including the three enormous shield volcanoes Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Ascraeus Mons, which are collectively known as the Tharsis Montes. The tallest volcano on the planet, Olympus Mons, is often associated with the Tharsis region but is actually located off the western edge of the plateau. The name Tharsis is the Greco-Latin transliteration of the biblical Tarshish, the land at the western extremity of the known world.
MOLA topography of the Thaumasia Plateau (Syria-Thaumasia block) and southern Tharsis. The volcano shown at the left is Arsia Mons. Valles Marineris extends across the northern edge. The areas in brown have the highest elevations on the Tharsis Plateau and may be considered the "summit region" of the Tharsis bulge.
Orographic water ice clouds hover over the volcanic peaks of the central Tharsis region in this color image mosaic from Mars Global Surveyor. Olympus Mons dominates at upper left. At center are the three Tharsis Montes: Arsia Mons at bottom, Pavonis Mons at center, and Ascraeus Mons at top.
Images of ice water clouds over Tharsis taken by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, 2016