[2] The Elysium quadrangle covers the area between 180° to 225° west longitude and 0° to 30° north latitude on Mars.

The quadrangle contains the major volcanoes Elysium Mons and Albor Tholus, part of a volcanic province of the same name, as well as river valleys—one of which, Athabasca Valles may be one of the youngest on Mars.

[3] The InSight lander touched down in the southern part of this quadrangle in 2018 to conduct geophysical studies.

"We determined that while there might have been water in this area in the past, the geochemical properties in the top meter throughout this volcanic province are indicative of igneous processes," Susko said.

"We think levels of thorium and potassium here were depleted over time because of volcanic eruptions over billions of years.

"Long-lived volcanic systems with changing magma compositions are common on Earth, but an emerging story on Mars," said James Wray, study co-author and associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech.

Overall, these findings indicate that Mars is a much more geologically complex body than originally thought, perhaps due to various loading effects on the mantle caused by the weight of giant volcanoes.

For decades, we saw Mars, as a lifeless rock, full of craters with a number of long inactive volcanoes.

"[4][5] Much of the area near the volcanoes is covered with lava flows, some can even be shown approaching, then stopping upon reaching higher ground.

(See pictures below for examples) Sometimes when lava flows the top cools quickly into a solid crust.

Research, published in January 2010, described the discovery of a vast single lava flow, the size of the state of Oregon, that "was put in place turbulently over the span of several weeks at most.

[10][11][12] The ice melts and turns into a vapor that expands in an explosion that produces a cone or ring.

Scientists are excited about finding hydrated minerals such as sulfates and clays on Mars because they are usually formed in the presence of water.

Martian ground water probably moved hundreds of kilometers, and in the process it dissolved many minerals from the rock it passed through.

The Elysium quadrangle is home to large troughs (long narrow depressions) called fossae in the geographical language used for Mars.

Sinkholes, where the ground falls into a hole (sometimes in the middle of a town) resemble pit craters on Mars.

Knowledge of the locations and formation mechanisms of pit craters and fossae is important for the future colonization of Mars because they may be reservoirs of water.

[28] However, a recent study indicates that to match the observations of methane, there must be something that quickly destroys the gas, otherwise it would be spread all through the atmosphere instead of being concentrated in just a few locations.

Since the collision that produces a crater is like a powerful explosion, rocks from deep underground are tossed unto the surface.

Research published in the journal Icarus has found pits in Zunil Crater that are caused by hot ejecta falling on ground containing ice.

[33] Two valley systems, the Hephaestus Fossae and Hebrus Valles, have sections that join and branch at high angles.

Athabasca was formed by water that burst out of the Cerberus Fossae, a set of cracks or fissures in the ground.

[35][36] The Cerberus Fossae most likely were formed from the stress on the crust caused by the weight of both Elysium Mons and the Tharsis volcanoes.