Martian volcanoes are larger than Earth volcanoes due to different tectonic plate activity. On Mars, volcanic hot spots remain stationary under the same location, allowing volcanoes like Olympus Mons to grow extremely large. In contrast, most Earth volcanoes form near shifting tectonic plate boundaries. Shield volcanoes form on Mars from stationary hot spots, while stratovolcanoes on Earth erupt explosively from convergent plate boundaries and have steeper profiles.