Pavonis Mons is the middle of three volcanoes (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. The circular caldera of Pavonis Mons portrays only a single collapse event, in contrast to the complex caldera on Ascraeus Mons, but it is possible that smaller collapses preceded the last event and were completely eliminated during the formation of the present caldera.