The complex caldera at the summit of Olympus Mons on Mars, the highest known volcano in our Solar System (average elevation of 22 km; the caldera has a depth of about 3 km). For centuries, Mars has intrigued scientists — as well as poets, writers and dreamers — as a planet with the potential for life, and now those theories are being explored. How does this involve the oil industry?<br /><p>The inset photo shows a geoscientist — no, not an astronaut — working with geophones on a desolate Canadian island that looks a lot like Mars. Is seismic technology headed for Mars?</p><em>Photo taken in January by the High Resolution Camera on ESA's Mars Express, courtesy of ESA/DLR/FU Berlin.</em>