How likely is an eruption of Olympus Mons?
I am also an old cynic. The chance that Olympus Mons could erupt is virtually nil. All of the volcanoes on Mars are extinct and inactive. The fact that Mars has no noticeable magnetic field is a pretty clear indication that it also has no significant molten core, which would be the source of any volcanic activity. I am not saying impossible; just highly unlikely. Current evidence indicates that when Mars was younger and hotter, a hot core and volcanism resulted in a thicker atmosphere where liquid water could exist in abundance. That is no longer the case.
