Cratering on Mars with almost no atmosphere or volatiles: Pangboche crater

Pangboche crater (17.2°N, 226.7°E; 10.4 km dia.) lies close to the summit of Olympus Mons volcano, Mars, at an elevation of ~20.9 km above the datum. Given a scale height of 11.1 km for the atmosphere, this relatively large fresh crater most likely formed at an atmospheric pressure <1 mbar in essentially volatile‐free young lava flows. Detailed analysis of Pangboche crater from High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Context Camera (CTX) images reveals that volatile‐related features (e.g., fluidized ejecta layers and pitted floor material) are absent. In contrast, abundant impact melt occurs on the floor, inner walls, and rim of the crater, and there is an extensive field of secondary craters that extend up to approximately 45 km from the rim crest. All of these attributes argue that it was the absence of volatiles in the target rocks at the time of crater formation, rather than the thin atmosphere, which had a controlling influence on crater morphology. Digital elevation data derived from the CTX images reveal that Pangboche crater has a depth of about 954 m (depth/diameter = approximately 0.092) and that uplifted target rocks comprise about 58% of the relief of the 180 m‐high north rim. As the target material comprised a sequence of layered lava flows, Pangboche crater may well represent the best crater on Mars for direct comparison with craters formed on the Moon (permitting variations in gravitational effects to be investigated) or on Mercury (allowing the role of the atmosphere to be studied).     

Floor-fractured lunar craters

Numerous lunar craters (206 examples, mean diameter = 40km) contain pronounced floor rilles (fractures) and evidence for volcanic processes. Seven morphologic classes have been defined according to floor depth and the appearance of the floor, wall, and rim zones. Such craters containing central peaks exhibit peak heights (approximately 1km) comparable to those within well-preserved impact craters but exhibit smaller rim-peak elevation differences (generally 0–1.5km) than those (2.4km) within impact craters. In addition, the morphology, spatial distribution, and floor elevation data reveal a probable genetic association with the maria and suggest that a large number of floor-fractured craters represent pre-mare impact craters whose floors have been lifted tectonically and modified volcanically during the epochs of mare flooding. Floor uplift is envisioned as floating on an intruded sill, and estimates of the buoyed floor thickness are consistent with the inferred depth of brecciation beneath impact craters, a zone interpreted as a trap for the intruding magma. The derived model of crater modification accounts for (1) the large differences in affected crater size and age; (2) the small peak-rim elevation differences; (3) remnant central peaks within mare-flooded craters and ringed plains; (4) ridged and flat-topped rim profiles of heavily modified craters and ringed plains; and (5) the absence of positive gravity anomalies in most floor-fractured craters and some large mare-filled craters. One of the seven morphologic classes, however, displays a significantly smaller mean size, larger distances from the maria, and distinctive morphology relative to the other six classes. The distinctive morphology is attributed, in part, to the relatively small size of the affected crater, but certain members of this class represent a style of volcanism unrelated to the maria - perhaps triggered by the last major basin-forming impacts.     

Lunar intrusive domes: Morphometric analysis and laccolith modelling

This study examines a set of lunar domes with very low flank slopes which differ in several respects from the frequently occurring lunar effusive domes. Some of these domes are exceptionally large, and most of them are associated with faults or linear rilles of presumably tensional origin. Accordingly, they might be interpreted as surface manifestations of laccolithic intrusions formed by flexure-induced vertical uplift of the lunar crust (or, alternatively, as low effusive edifices due to lava mantling of highland terrain, or kipukas, or structural features). All of them are situated near the borders of mare regions or in regions characterised by extensive effusive volcanic activity. Clementine multispectral UVVIS imagery indicates that they do not preferentially occur in specific types of mare basalt. Our determination of their morphometric properties, involving a combined photoclinometry and shape from shading technique applied to telescopic CCD images acquired at oblique illumination, reveals large dome diameters between 10 and more than 30 km, flank slopes below 0.9°, and volumes ranging from 0.5 to 50 km³. We establish three morphometric classes. The first class, In1, comprises large domes with diameters above 25 km and flank slopes of 0.2°-0.6°, class In2 is made up by smaller and slightly steeper domes with diameters of 10-15 km and flank slopes between 0.4° and 0.9°, and domes of class In3 have diameters of 13-20 km and flank slopes below 0.3°. While the morphometric properties of several candidate intrusive domes overlap with those of some classes of effusive domes, we show that a possible distinction criterion are the characteristic elongated outlines of the candidate intrusive domes. We examine how they differ from typical effusive domes of classes 5 and 6 defined by Head and Gifford [Head, J.W., Gifford, A., 1980. Lunar mare domes: classification and modes of origin. Moon Planets 22, 235-257], and show that they are likely no highland kipukas due to the absence of spectral contrast to their surrounding. These considerations serve as a motivation for an analysis of the candidate intrusive domes in terms of the laccolith model by Kerr and Pollard [Kerr, A.D., Pollard, D.D., 1998. Toward more realistic formulations for the analysis of laccoliths. J. Struct. Geol. 20(12), 1783-1793], to estimate the geophysical parameters, especially the intrusion depth and the magma pressure, which would result from the observed morphometric properties. Accordingly, domes of class In1 are characterised by intrusion depths of 2.3-3.5 km and magma pressures between 18 and 29 MPa. For the smaller and steeper domes of class In2 the magma intruded to shallow depths between 0.4 and 1.0 km while the inferred magma pressures range from 3 to 8 MPa. Class In3 domes are similar to those of class In1 with intrusion depths of 1.8-2.7 km and magma pressures of 15-23 MPa. As an extraordinary feature, we describe in some detail the concentric crater Archytas G associated with the intrusive dome Ar1 and discuss possible modes of origin. In comparison to the candidate intrusive domes, terrestrial laccoliths tend to be smaller, but it remains unclear if this observation is merely a selection effect due to the limited resolution of our telescopic CCD images. An elongated outline is common to many terrestrial laccoliths and the putative lunar laccoliths, while the thickness values measured for terrestrial laccoliths are typically higher than those inferred for lunar laccoliths, but the typical intrusion depths are comparable.     

Pluto—The ninth planet's golden year: A meeting held at New Mexico State University,Las Cruces,New Mexico

The simple-to-complex transition for impact craters on Mars occurs at diameters between about 3 and 8 km. Ballistically emplaced ejecta surround primarily those craters that have a simple interior morphology, whereas ejecta displaying features attributable to fluid flow are mostly restricted to complex craters. Size-dependent characteristics of 73 relatively fresh Martian craters, emphasizing the new depth/diameter (d/D) data of D. W. G. Arthur (1980, to be submitted for publication), test two hypotheses for the mode of formation of central peaks in complex craters. In particular, five features appear sequentially with increasing crater size: first flat floors (3–4 km), then central peaks and shallower depths (4–5 km), next scalloped rims (? km), and lastly terraced walls (～8 km). This relative order indicates that a shallow depth of excavation and an unspecified rebound mechanism, not centripetal collapse and deep sliding, have produced central peaks and in turn have facilitated failure of the rim. The mechanism of formation of a shallow crater remains elusive, but probably operates only at the excavation stage of impact. This interpretation is consistent with two separate and complementary lines of evidence. First, field data have documented only shallow subsurface deformation and a shallow transient cavity in complex terrestrial meteorite craters and in certain surface-burst explosion craters; thus the shallow transient cavities of complex craters never were geometrically similar to the deep cavities of simple craters. Second, the average depths of complex craters and the diameters marking the transition from simple to complex craters on Mars and on three other terrestrial planets vary inversely with gravitational acceleration at the planetary surface, g, a variable more important in the excavation of a crater than in any subsequent modification of its geometry. The new interpretation is summarized diagrammatically for complex craters on all planets.     

Shallow and deep fresh impact craters in Hesperia Planum,Mars

The depths of 109 impact craters 2–16 km in diameter, located on the ridged plains materials of Hesperia Planum, Mars, have been measured from their shadow lengths using digital Viking Orbiter images (orbit numbers 417S–419S) and the PICS computer software. On the basis of their pristine morphology (very fresh lobate ejecta blankets, well preserved rim crests, and lack of superposed impact craters), 57 of these craters have been selected for detailed analysis of their spatial distribution and geometry. We find that south of 30°S, craters <6.0 km in diameter are markedly shallower than similar-sized craters equatorward of this latitude. No comparable relationship is observed for morphologically fresh craters >6.0 km diameter. We also find that two populations exist for older craters <6.0 km diameter. When craters that lack ejecta blankets are grouped on the basis of depth/diameter ratio, the deeper craters also typically lie equatorward of 30° S. We interpret the spatial variation in crater depth/diameter ratios as most likely due to a poleward increase in volatiles within the top 400 m of the surface at the times these craters were formed.     

Impact Excavation and the Search for Subsurface Life on Mars

Because of the ubiquity of subsurface microbial life on Earth, examination of the subsurface of Mars could provide an answer to the question of whether microorganisms exist or ever existed on that planet. Impact craters provide a natural mechanism for accessing the deep substrate of Mars and exploring its exobiological potential. Based on equations that relate impact crater diameters to excavation depth we estimate the observed crater diameters that are required to prospect to given depths in the martian subsurface and we relate these depths to observed microbiological phenomena in the terrestrial subsurface. Simple craters can be used to examine material to a depth of ∼270 m. Complex craters can be used to reach greater depths, with craters of diameters ≥300 km required to reach depths of 6 km or greater, which represent the limit of the terrestrial deep subsurface biosphere. Examination of the ejecta blankets of craters between 17.5 and 260 km in diameter would provide insights into whether there is an extant, or whether there is evidence of an extinct, deep subsurface microbiota between 500 and 5000 m prior to committing to large-scale drilling efforts. At depths <500 m some crater excavations are likely to be more important than others from an exobiological point of view. We discuss examples of impacts into putative intracrater paleolacustrine sediments and regions associated with hydrothermal activity. We compare these depths to the characteristics of subsurface life on Earth and the fossil microbiological record in terrestrial impact craters.     

Global survey of lunar regolith depths from LROC images

We performed the first global survey of lunar regolith depths using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) data and the crater morphology method for determining regolith depth. We find that on both the lunar farside and in the nearside, non-mare regions, the regolith depth is twice as deep as it is within the lunar maria. Our data compare favorably with previous studies where such data exist. We also find that regolith depth correlates well with density of large craters (>20 km diameter). This result is consistent with the gradual formation of regolith by rock fracture during impact events.     

Chandrayaan-1 observation of distant secondary craters of Copernicus exhibiting central mound morphology: Evidence for low velocity clustered impacts on the Moon

Analysis of the Chandrayaan-1 Terrain Mapping Camera image of a 20 km×27 km area in the Mare Imbrium region revealed a cluster of thousands of fresh and buried impact craters in the size range of 20-1300 m. A majority of the large fresh craters with diameter ranging from 160 to 1270 m exhibit near-circular mounds (30-335 m diameter and 10-40 m height) in the crater floor, and their size depends on the host crater size. The origin of this cluster of secondary craters may be traced to Copernicus crater, based on global lunar image and the analysis of Chandrayaan-1 Hyper Spectral Imager data. Our findings provide further evidence for secondary crater formation by low-velocity impact of a cloud of clustered fragments. The presence of central mounds can also distinguish the secondary craters from the primary craters and refine the chronology of lunar surface based on counting of small craters.     

Modeling the 2.7?km in Diameter, Shallow Marine Ritland Impact Structure

The newly discovered Ritland impact structure (2.7?km in diameter) has been modeled by numerical simulation, based on detailed field information input. The numerical model applies the SOVA multi-material hydrocode, which uses the ANEOS equation of state for granite, describing thermodynamical properties of target and projectile material. The model displays crater formation and possible ejecta distribution that strongly supports a 100?m or less water depth at the time of impact. According to the simulations resurge processes and basinal syn- and postimpact sedimentation are highly dependent on water depth; in more than 100?m of water depth, much more powerful resurge processes are generated than at water depths shallower than 100?m (the Ritland case). In Ritland the 100?m high (modeled) crater rim formed a barrier and severely reduced the resurge processes. In the case of deeper water, powerful resurge processes, tsunami wave generations and related currents could have triggered even more violent crater fill sedimentation. The presented model demonstrates the importance of understanding the interactions between water layer and both syn-impact crater fill and ejecta distribution. According to the presented simulations ejecta blocks up to 10?m in diameter could be transported up to about 5?km outside the crater rim.     

Modeling the morphological diversity of impact craters on icy satellites

Impact craters on icy satellites display a wide range of morphologies, some of which have no counterpart on rocky bodies. Numerical simulation studies have struggled to reproduce the diversity of features, such as central pits and transitions in crater depth with increasing diameter, observed on the icy Galilean satellites. The transitions in crater depth (at diameters of about 26 and 150 km on Ganymede and Callisto) have been interpreted as reflecting subsurface structure. Using the CTH shock physics code, we model the formation of craters with diameters between 400 m and about 200 km on Ganymede using different subsurface temperature profiles. Our calculations include recent improvements in the model equation of state for H₂O and quasi-static strength parameters for ice. We find that the shock-induced formation of dense high-pressure polymorphs (ices VI and VII) creates a gap in the crater excavation flow, which we call discontinuous excavation. For craters larger than about 20 km, discontinuous excavation concentrates a hot plug of material (>270 K and mostly on the melting curve) in the center of the crater floor. The size and occurrence of the hot plug are in good agreement with the observed characteristics of central pit craters, and we propose that a genetic link exists between them. We also derive depth versus diameter curves for different internal temperature profiles. In a 120 K isothermal crust, calculated craters larger than about 30 km diameter are deeper than observed and do not reproduce the transition at about 26 km diameter. Calculated crater depths are shallower and in good agreement with observations between about 30 and 150 km diameter using a warm thermal gradient representing a convective interior. Hence, the depth-to-diameter transition at about 26 km reflects thermal weakening of ice. Finally, simulation results generally support the hypothesis that the anomalous interior morphologies for craters larger than 100 km are related to the presence of a subsurface ocean.     

Radar imagery of Mercury’s putative polar ice: 1999-2005 Arecibo results

We present an updated survey of Mercury’s putative polar ice deposits, based on high-resolution (1.5-km) imaging with the upgraded Arecibo S-band radar during 1999-2005. The north pole has now been imaged over a full range of longitude aspects, making it possible to distinguish ice-free areas from radar-shadowed areas and thus better map the distribution of radar-bright ice. The new imagery of the south pole, though derived from only a single pair of dates in 2005, improves on the pre-upgrade Arecibo imagery and reveals many additional ice features. Some medium-size craters located within 3° of the north pole show near-complete ice coverage over their floors, central peaks, and southern interior rim walls and little or no ice on their northern rim walls, while one large (90 km) crater at 85°N shows a sharp ice-cutoff line running across its central floor. All of this is consistent with the estimated polar extent of permanent shading from direct sunlight. Some craters show ice in regions that, though permanently shaded, should be too warm to maintain unprotected surface ice owing to indirect heating by reflected and reradiated sunlight. However, the ice distribution in these craters is in good agreement with models invoking insulation by a thin dust mantle. Comparisons with Goldstone X-band radar imagery indicate a wavelength dependence that could be consistent with such a dust mantle. More than a dozen small ice features have been found at latitudes between 67° and 75°. All of this low-latitude ice is probably sheltered in or under steep pole-facing crater rim walls, although, since most is located in the Mariner-unimaged hemisphere, confirmation must await imaging by the MESSENGER orbiter. These low-latitude features are concentrated toward the “cold longitudes,” possibly indicating a thermal segregation effect governed by indirect heating. The radar imagery places the corrected locations of the north and south poles at 7°W, 88.35°N and 90°W, 88.7°S, respectively, on the original Mariner-based maps.     

Crater size-shape profiles for the moon and mercury: Terrain effects and interplanetary comparisons

New crater size-shape data were compiled for 221 fresh lunar craters and 152 youthful mercurian craters. Terraces and central peaks develop initially in fresh craters on the Moon in the 0–10 km diameter interval. Above a diameter of 65 km all craters are terraced and have central peaks. Swirl floor texture is most common in craters in the size range 20–30 km, but it occurs less frequently as terraces become a dominant feature of crater interiors. For the Moon there is a correlation between crater shape and geomorphic terrain type. For example, craters on the maria are more complex in terms of central peak and terrace detail at any given crater diameter than are craters in the highlands. These crater data suggest that there are significant differences in substrate and/or target properties between maria and highlands. Size-shape profiles for Mercury show that central peak and terrace onset is in the 10–20 km diameter interval; all craters are terraced at 65 km, and all have central peaks at 45 km. The crater data for Mercury show no clear cut terrain correlation. Comparison of lunar and mercurian data indicates that both central peaks and terraces are more abundant in craters in the diameter range 5–75 km on Mercury. Differences in crater shape between Mercury and the Moon may be due to differences in planetary gravitational acceleration (gMercury=2.3gMoon). Also differences between Mercury and the Moon in target and substrate and in modal impact velocity may contribute to affect crater shape.     

Constraints on the depth and variability of the lunar regolith

Abstract— Knowledge of regolith depth structure is important for a variety of studies of the Moon and other bodies such as Mercury and asteroids. Lunar regolith depths have been estimated using morphological techniques (i.e., Quaide and Oberbeck 1968; Shoemaker and Morris 1969), crater counting techniques (Shoemaker et al. 1969), and seismic studies (i.e., Watkins and Kovach 1973; Cooper et al. 1974). These diverse methods provide good first order estimates of regolith depths across large distances (tens to hundreds of kilometers), but may not clearly elucidate the variability of regolith depth locally (100 m to km scale). In order to better constrain the regional average depth and local variability of the regolith, we investigate several techniques. First, we find that the apparent equilibrium diameter of a crater population increases with an increasing solar incidence angle, and this affects the inferred regolith depth by increasing the range of predicted depths (from ～7–15 m depth at 100 m equilibrium diameter to ～8–40 m at 300 m equilibrium diameter). Second, we examine the frequency and distribution of blocky craters in selected lunar mare areas and find a range of regolith depths (8–31 m) that compares favorably with results from the equilibrium diameter method (8–33 m) for areas of similar age (～2.5 billion years). Finally, we examine the utility of using Clementine optical maturity parameter images (Lucey et al. 2000) to determine regolith depth. The resolution of Clementine images (100 m/pixel) prohibits determination of absolute depths, but this method has the potential to give relative depths, and if higher resolution spectral data were available could yield absolute depths.     

A lake in Uzboi Vallis and implications for Late Noachian-Early Hesperian climate on Mars

Uzboi Vallis (centered at ∼28°S, 323°E) is ∼400 km long and comprises the southernmost segment of the northward-draining Uzboi-Ladon-Morava (ULM) meso-scale outflow system that emerges from Argyre basin. Bond and Holden craters blocked the valley to the south and north, respectively, forming a Late Noachian-to-Hesperian paleolake basin that exceeded 4000 km³. Limited CRISM data suggest lake deposits in Uzboi and underlying basin floor incorporate relatively more Mg-clays and more Fe-clays, respectively. The short-lived lake overflowed and breached Holden crater’s rim at an elevation of −350 m and rapidly drained into the crater. Fan deltas in Holden extend 25 km from the breach and incorporate meter-sized blocks, and longitudinal grooves along the Uzboi basin floor are hundreds of meters long and average 60 m wide, suggesting high-discharge drainage of the lake. Precipitation-derived runoff rather than regional groundwater or overflow from Argyre dominated contributions to the Uzboi lake, although the failure of most tributaries to respond to a lowering of base level indicates their incision largely ended when the lake drained. The Uzboi lake may have coincided with alluvial and/or lacustrine activity in Holden, Eberswalde, and other craters in southern Margaritifer Terra, where fluvial/lacustrine activity may have required widespread, synoptic precipitation (rain or snow), perhaps associated with an ephemeral, global hydrologic system during the Late Noachian into the Hesperian on Mars.     

Is the Linné impact crater morphology influenced by the rheological layering on the Moon's surface? Insights from numerical modeling

Linné is a simple crater, with a diameter of 2.23 km and a depth of 0.52 km, located in northwestern Mare Serenitatis. Recent high‐resolution data acquired by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera revealed that the shape of this impact structure is best described by an inverted truncated‐cone. We perform morphometric measurements, including slope and profile curvature, on the Digital Terrain Model of Linné, finding the possible presence of three subtle topographic steps, at the elevation of +20, ?100, and ?200 m relative to the target surface. The kink at ?100 m might be related to the interface between two different rheological layers. Using the iSALE shock physics code, we numerically model the formation of Linné crater to derive hints on the possible impact conditions and target physical properties. In the initial setup, we adopt a basaltic projectile impacting the Moon with a speed of 18 km s^?1. For the local surface, we consider either one or two layers, in order to test the influence of material properties or composite rheologies on the final crater morphology. The one‐layer model shows that the largest variations in the crater shape take place when either the cohesion or the friction coefficient is varied. In particular, a cohesion of 10 kPa marks the threshold between conical‐ and parabolic‐shaped craters. The two‐layer model shows that the interface between the two layers would be exposed at the observed depth of 100 m when an intermediate value (~200 m) for the upper fractured layer is set. We have also found that the truncated‐cone morphology of Linné might originate from an incomplete collapse of the crater wall, as the breccia lens remains clustered along the crater walls, while the high‐albedo deposit on the crater floor can be interpreted as a very shallow lens of fallout breccia. The modeling analysis allows us to derive important clues on the impactor size (under the assumption of a vertical impact and collision velocity equal to the mean value), and on the approximate, large‐scale preimpact target properties. Observations suggest that these large‐scale material properties likely include some important smaller scale variations, disclosed as subtle morphological steps in the crater walls. Furthermore, the modeling results allow advancing some hypotheses on the geological evolution of the Mare Serenitatis region where Linné crater is located (unit S14). We suggest that unit S14 has a thickness of at least a few hundreds of meters up to about 400 m.     

Crater geometry and ejecta thickness of the Martian impact crater Tooting

Abstract— We use Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topographic data and Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) visible (VIS) images to study the cavity and the ejecta blanket of a very fresh Martian impact crater ?29 km in diameter, with the provisional International Astronomical Union (IAU) name Tooting crater. This crater is very young, as demonstrated by the large depth/diameter ratio (0.065), impact melt preserved on the walls and floor, an extensive secondary crater field, and only 13 superposed impact craters (all 54 to 234 meters in diameter) on the ?8120 km² ejecta blanket. Because the pre‐impact terrain was essentially flat, we can measure the volume of the crater cavity and ejecta deposits. Tooting crater has a rim height that has >500 m variation around the rim crest and a very large central peak (1052 m high and >9 km wide). Crater cavity volume (i.e., volume below the pre‐impact terrain) is ?380 km³ the volume of materials above the pre‐impact terrain is ?425 km³. The ejecta thickness is often very thin (<20 m) throughout much of the ejecta blanket. There is a pronounced asymmetry in the ejecta blanket, suggestive of an oblique impact, which has resulted in up to ?100 m of additional ejecta thickness being deposited down‐range compared to the up‐range value at the same radial distance from the rim crest. Distal ramparts are 60 to 125 m high, comparable to the heights of ramparts measured at other multi‐layered ejecta craters. Tooting crater serves as a fresh end‐member for the large impact craters on Mars formed in volcanic materials, and as such may be useful for comparison to fresh craters in other target materials.     

An improved shadow measurement technique for constraining the morphometry of simple impact craters

Abstract— The lengths of the shadows cast within simple, bowl‐shaped impact craters have been used to constrain their depths on a variety of planetary bodies. This technique, however, only yields the “true” crater depth if the shadow transects the crater center where the floor is deepest. In the past, attempts have been made to circumvent this limitation by choosing only craters where the shadow tip lies very near the crater center; but this approach may introduce serious artifacts that adversely affect the slope of the regressed depth vs. diameter data and its variance. Here we introduce an improved method for deriving depth information from shadow measurements that considers three basic shape variations of simple craters: paraboloidal, conical, and flat‐floored. We show that the shape of the cast shadow can be used to constrain crater shape and we derive improved equations for finding the depths of these simple craters.     

Illumination conditions of the south pole of the Moon derived using Kaguya topography

We have used the Kaguya laser altimeter-derived topography to conduct a comprehensive study of the illumination conditions at the Moon’s south pole. We have determined, by comparing simulated and actual Clementine images, that the Kaguya topography can be used to generate realistic illumination conditions. We generated an average illumination map for the year 2020 for the lunar south pole region. From this we identified the areas that receive the most illumination. The place receiving the most illumination (86% of the year) is located close to the rim of Shackleton crater at 88.74°S 124.5°E. However two other areas, less than 10 km apart from each other, are collectively lit for 94% of the year. We found that sites exist near the south pole that are continuously lit for several months during summer. We were also able to map the locations and durations of eclipse periods for these areas. Finally we analyzed the seasonal variations in lighting conditions, from summer to winter, for key areas near the south pole. We conclude that areas exist near the south pole that have illumination conditions that make them ideal candidates as future outpost sites.     

The rayed crater Zunil and interpretations of small impact craters on Mars

A 10-km diameter crater named Zunil in the Cerberus Plains of Mars created ∼¹⁰⁷ secondary craters 10 to 200 m in diameter. Many of these secondary craters are concentrated in radial streaks that extend up to 1600 km from the primary crater, identical to lunar rays. Most of the larger Zunil secondaries are distinctive in both visible and thermal infrared imaging. MOC images of the secondary craters show sharp rims and bright ejecta and rays, but the craters are shallow and often noncircular, as expected for relatively low-velocity impacts. About 80% of the impact craters superimposed over the youngest surfaces in the Cerberus Plains, such as Athabasca Valles, have the distinctive characteristics of Zunil secondaries. We have not identified any other large (?10 km diameter) impact crater on Mars with such distinctive rays of young secondary craters, so the age of the crater may be less than a few Ma. Zunil formed in the apparently youngest (least cratered) large-scale lava plains on Mars, and may be an excellent example of how spallation of a competent surface layer can produce high-velocity ejecta (Melosh, 1984, Impact ejection, spallation, and the origin of meteorites, Icarus 59, 234-260). It could be the source crater for some of the basaltic shergottites, consistent with their crystallization and ejection ages, composition, and the fact that Zunil produced abundant high-velocity ejecta fragments. A 3D hydrodynamic simulation of the impact event produced 10¹⁰ rock fragments ?10 cm diameter, leading to up to 10⁹ secondary craters ?10 m diameter. Nearly all of the simulated secondary craters larger than 50 m are within 800 km of the impact site but the more abundant smaller (10-50 m) craters extend out to 3500 km. If Zunil is representative of large impact events on Mars, then secondaries should be more abundant than primaries at diameters a factor of ∼1000 smaller than that of the largest primary crater that contributed secondaries. As a result, most small craters on Mars could be secondaries. Depth/diameter ratios of 1300 small craters (10-500 m diameter) in Isidis Planitia and Gusev crater have a mean value of 0.08; the freshest of these craters give a ratio of 0.11, identical to that of fresh secondary craters on the Moon (Pike and Wilhelms, 1978, Secondary-impact craters on the Moon: topographic form and geologic process, Lunar Planet. Sci. IX, 907-909) and significantly less than the value of ∼0.2 or more expected for fresh primary craters of this size range. Several observations suggest that the production functions of Hartmann and Neukum (2001, Cratering chronology and the evolution of Mars, Space Sci. Rev. 96, 165-194) predict too many primary craters smaller than a few hundred meters in diameter. Fewer small, high-velocity impacts may explain why there appears to be little impact regolith over Amazonian terrains. Martian terrains dated by small craters could be older than reported in recent publications.