The Elysium quadrangle contains the volcanoes Elysium Mons and Albor Tholus.

David Susko and his colleagues at Louisiana State University analyzed geochemical and surface morphology data from Elysium using instruments on board NASA's Mars Odyssey Orbiter (2001) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006).
Through crater counting, they found differences in age between the northwest and the southeast regions of Elysium—about 850 million years of difference.
They also found that the younger southeast regions are geochemically different from the older regions, and that these differences related to igneous processes, not secondary processes like the interaction of water or ice with the surface of Elysium in the past.

"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.
The radioactive elements were the first to go in the early eruptions.
We are seeing changes in the mantle chemistry over time."
 "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.
We had a very simple view of the red planet.
Finding a variety of igneous rocks demonstrates that Mars has the potential for useful resource utilization and a capacity to sustain a human population on Mars. "
It's much easier to survive on a complex planetary body bearing the mineral products of complex geology than on a simpler body like the moon or asteroids."

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.
However, the lava below often still flows, this action breaks up the top layer making it very rough.
 Such rough flow is called aa.

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."
 This flow, near Athabasca Valles, is the youngest lava flow on Mars.
It is thought to be of Late Amazonian Age.
 Other researchers disagree with this idea.
 Under Martian conditions lava should not stay fluid very long.

Some areas in the Elysium quadrangle are geological young and have surfaces that are hard to explain.
 Some have called them Platy-Ridged-Polygonized terrain.
 The surface has been suggested to be from pack ice, basalt lava, or a muddy flow.
 Using HiRISE images the heights of the ridges of the surface were measured.
 Most were less than 2 meters.
 This is far smaller than what is expected from lava flows.
 The high resolution photos demonstrated that the material seemed to flow which would not occur with pack ice.
 So, the researchers concluded that muddy flows cover the surface.
The Elysium quadrangle contains the volcanoes Elysium Mons and Albor Tholus.
David Susko and his colleagues at Louisiana State University analyzed geochemical and surface morphology data from Elysium using instruments on board NASA's Mars Odyssey Orbiter (2001) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006). Through crater counting, they found differences in age between the northwest and the southeast regions of Elysium—about 850 million years of difference. They also found that the younger southeast regions are geochemically different from the older regions, and that these differences related to igneous processes, not secondary processes like the interaction of water or ice with the surface of Elysium in the past.
"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. The radioactive elements were the first to go in the early eruptions. We are seeing changes in the mantle chemistry over time."  "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. We had a very simple view of the red planet. Finding a variety of igneous rocks demonstrates that Mars has the potential for useful resource utilization and a capacity to sustain a human population on Mars. "It's much easier to survive on a complex planetary body bearing the mineral products of complex geology than on a simpler body like the moon or asteroids."
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. However, the lava below often still flows, this action breaks up the top layer making it very rough.  Such rough flow is called aa.
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."  This flow, near Athabasca Valles, is the youngest lava flow on Mars. It is thought to be of Late Amazonian Age.  Other researchers disagree with this idea.  Under Martian conditions lava should not stay fluid very long.
Some areas in the Elysium quadrangle are geological young and have surfaces that are hard to explain.  Some have called them Platy-Ridged-Polygonized terrain.  The surface has been suggested to be from pack ice, basalt lava, or a muddy flow.  Using HiRISE images the heights of the ridges of the surface were measured.  Most were less than 2 meters.  This is far smaller than what is expected from lava flows.  The high resolution photos demonstrated that the material seemed to flow which would not occur with pack ice.  So, the researchers concluded that muddy flows cover the surface.
Elysium quadrangle