MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Subject: Why doesn't Maxwell Montes fall over ?

Date: Wed Apr 12 08:01:49 2006
Posted by Rod
Grade level: nonaligned School: nonaligned
City: Warkworth State/Province: No state entered. Country: New Zealand
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 1144854109.As
Message:

I have recently read an article concerning the planet Venus:

"Venus's tallest mountain is called Maxwell Montes, after the Scots physicist
James Clerk Maxwell, and it is 12,000 metres (39,370ft) above the planet's
average surface, despite being only 10km (six miles) wide at the base. On Earth,
the base would be too narrow to support such a large structure."

Why does this structure survive on Venus, and not our similarly sized Earth?


Re: Why doesn't Maxwell Montes fall over ?

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