Pavonis Mons
|
|
Missing image
Tharsis-PIA02049.jpg
Tharsis-PIA02049.jpg
Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
Pavonis Mons is the middle of three volcanos (collectively known as Tharsis Montes) on the Tharsis bulge near the equator of the planet Mars. To its north is Ascraeus Mons, and to its south is Arsia Mons. The largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, is to its northwest.
Pavonis Mons is stands at about seven km above the surrounding plain. To its lower east flank, there is a chain of elliptical, or oval-shaped, pits, lined up down the center of a shallow trough. They were both formed by collapse associated by faulting – the scarp on each side of the trough is a fault line. (Such features are normally found when the ground is moved by molten rock or tectonic forces.)