18 January 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle color composite image, obtained in December 2003, shows the middle of the three Tharsis Montes, Pavonis Mons. This is a broad shield volcano--similar to the volcanoes of Hawaii--located on the martian equator at 113°W. The volcano summit is near 14 km (~8.7 mi) above the martian datum (0 elevation); the central caldera (crater near center of image) is about 45 km (~28 mi.) across and about 4.5 km (~2.8 mi.) deep. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.