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1.
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.  相似文献   

2.
Abstract— The northern lowland plains, such as those found in Acidalia and Utopia Planitia, have high percentages of impact craters with fluidized ejecta. In both regions, the analysis of crater geometry from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data has revealed large ejecta volumes, some exceeding the volume of excavation. Moreover, some of the crater cavities and fluidized ejecta blankets of these craters are topographically perched above the surrounding plains. These perched craters are concentrated between 40 and 70°N in the northern plains. The atypical high volumes of the ejecta and the perched craters suggest that the northern lowlands have experienced one or more episodes of resurfacing that involved deposition and erosion. The removal of material, most likely caused by the sublimation of ice in the materials and their subsequent erosion and transport by the wind, is more rapid on the plains than on the ejecta blankets. The thermal inertia difference between the ejecta and the surrounding plains suggests that ejecta, characterized by a lower thermal inertia, protect the underneath terrain from sublimation. This results in a decreased elevation of the plains relative to the ejecta blankets. Sublimation and eolian erosion can be particularly high during periods of high obliquity.  相似文献   

3.
We report here on a survey of distal fine-grained ejecta deposits on the Moon, Mars, and Venus. On all three planets, fine-grained ejecta form circular haloes that extend beyond the continuous ejecta and other types of distal deposits such as run-out lobes or ramparts. Using Earth-based radar images, we find that lunar fine-grained ejecta haloes represent meters-thick deposits with abrupt margins, and are depleted in rocks ?1 cm in diameter. Martian haloes show low nighttime thermal IR temperatures and thermal inertia, indicating the presence of fine particles estimated to range from ∼10 μm to 10 mm. Using the large sample sizes afforded by global datasets for Venus and Mars, and a complete nearside radar map for the Moon, we establish statistically robust scaling relationships between crater radius R and fine-grained ejecta run-out r* for all three planets. On the Moon, r* ∼ R−0.18 for craters 5-640 km in diameter. For Venus, radar-dark haloes are larger than those on the Moon, but scale as r* ∼ R−0.49, consistent with ejecta entrainment in Venus’ dense atmosphere. On Mars, fine-ejecta haloes are larger than lunar haloes for a given crater size, indicating entrainment of ejecta by the atmosphere or vaporized subsurface volatiles, but scale as R−0.13, similar to the ballistic lunar scaling. Ejecta suspension in vortices generated by passage of the ejecta curtain is predicted to result in ejecta run-out that scales with crater size as R1/2, and the wind speeds so generated may be insufficient to transport particles at the larger end of the calculated range. The observed scaling and morphology of the low-temperature haloes leads us rather to favor winds generated by early-stage vapor plume expansion as the emplacement mechanism for low-temperature halo materials.  相似文献   

4.
Abstract— We have developed a quantitative model for predicting characteristics of ejecta deposits that result from basin‐sized cratering events. This model is based on impact crater scaling equations (Housen, Schmitt, and Holsapple 1983; Holsapple 1993) and the concept of ballistic sedimentation (Oberbeck 1975), and takes into account the size distribution of the individual fragments ejected from the primary crater. Using the model, we can estimate, for an area centered at the chosen location of interest, the average distribution of thicknesses of basin ejecta deposits within the area and the fraction of primary ejecta contained within the deposits. Model estimates of ejecta deposit thicknesses are calibrated using those of the Orientale Basin (Moore, Hodges, and Scott 1974) and of the Ries Basin (Hörz, Ostertag, and Rainey 1983). Observed densities of secondary craters surrounding the Imbrium and Orientale Basins are much lower than the modeled densities. Similarly, crater counts for part of the northern half of the Copernicus secondary cratering field are much lower than the model predicts, and variation in crater densities with distance from Copernicus is less than expected. These results suggest that mutual obliteration erases essentially all secondary craters associated with the debris surge that arises from the impacting primary fragments during ballistic sedimentation; if so, a process other than ballistic sedimentation is needed to produce observable secondary craters. Regardless, our ejecta deposit model can be useful for suggesting provenances of sampled lunar materials, providing information complementary to photogeological and remote sensing interpretations, and as a tool for planning rover traverses (e.g., Haskin et al. 1995, 2002).  相似文献   

5.
Hale crater formed in the Early to Middle Amazonian and is one of the best preserved large craters on Mars. We focus on the emplacement of previously mapped distal continuous ejecta and newly recognized discontinuous distal ejecta deposits reaching up to 450 km northeast of Hale. The distal continuous ejecta deposits are typically tens of meters thick, likely water-rich, and subsequent dewatering of some resulted in flow along gradients of 10 m km-1 for distances of tens of kilometers. The discontinuous distal ejecta are typically <10 m thick with volumes generally <0.5 km3 and embay Hale secondaries, which occur up to ~600 km from Hale. Both continuous and discontinuous distal ejecta deposits are typically smooth at scales of tens to hundreds of meters, relatively dark-toned, devoid of eolian bedforms, inferred to be mostly fine-grained, and were likely emplaced within hours to 1–2 days after impact. The occurrence of well-preserved discontinuous distal ejecta at Hale is unusual compared to other large Martian craters and could be due to impact into an ice-rich substrate that enabled their formation and (or) their survival after minimal postimpact degradation relative to older craters. The pristine nature of distal continuous and discontinuous distal deposits at Hale and the preservation of associated secondaries imply (1) low erosion rates after the Hale impact, comparable to those estimated elsewhere during the Amazonian; (2) the impact did not significantly influence long-term global or regional scale geomorphic activity or climate; and (3) the Hale impact occurred after late alluvial fan activity in Margaritifer Terra.  相似文献   

6.
From an analysis of 1173 craters possessing single (Type I) and double (Type 2) concentric ejecta deposits, Type 2 craters are found to occur most frequently in areas that have also been described as possessing periglacial features. The frequency of occurence of central peaks and wall failure (terraces plus scallops) within the craters indicate that, by analogy with previous analyses, Type 1 craters form in more fragmental targets than Type 2 craters. The maximum range of the outer ejecta deposits of Type 2 craters, however, consistently extends ～0.8 crater radii further than ejecta deposits of Type 1 craters, suggesting a greater degree of ejecta fluidization for the twin-lobed Type 2 craters. Numerous characteristics of Ries Crater, West Germany, show similarities to craters on Mars, indicating that Martian fluidized ejecta craters may be closer analogs to this terrestrial crater than are lunar craters.  相似文献   

7.
The ejecta blankets of impact craters in volatile‐rich environments often possess characteristic layered ejecta morphologies. The so‐called double‐layered ejecta (DLE) craters are characterized by two ejecta layers with distinct morphologies. The analysis of high‐resolution image data, especially HiRISE and CTX, provides new insights into the formation of DLE craters. A new phenomenological excavation and ejecta emplacement model for DLE craters is proposed based on a detailed case study of the Martian crater Steinheim—a well‐preserved DLE crater—and studies of other DLE craters. The observations show that the outer ejecta layer is emplaced as medial and distal ejecta that propagate outwards in a debris avalanche or (if saturated with water) a debris flow mode after landing, overrunning previously formed secondary craters. In contrast, the inner ejecta layer is formed by a translational slide of the proximal ejecta deposits during the emplacement stage that overrun and superimpose parts of the outer ejecta layer. Based on our model, DLE craters on Mars are the result of an impact event into a rock/ice mixture that produces large amounts of shock‐induced vaporization and melting of ground ice, leading to high ejection angles, proximal landing positions, and an ejecta curtain with relatively wet (in terms of water in liquid form) composition in the distal part versus dryer composition in the proximal part. As a consequence, basal melting of ice components in the ejecta at the transient crater rim, which is induced by frictional heating and the enhanced pressure at depth, initiates an outwards directed collapse of crater rim material in a translational slide mode. Our results indicate that similar processes may also be applicable for other planetary bodies with volatile‐rich environments, such as Ganymede, Europa, and the Earth.  相似文献   

8.
《Icarus》1987,71(2):268-286
Very high resolution Viking Orbiter images (8–17 m per pixel) have been used to investigate the morphology of Martian rampart crater ejecta blankets and the crater interiors, with the objective of identifying the fluidizing medium for the ejecta and the physical properties of the target rock. The occurrence of well-preserved, small-scale pressure ridges and scour marks, evidence for subsidence around isolated buried blocks in partially eroded ejecta lobes, and the stability of crater walls and distal ramparts argue for ground ice being the dominant state for volatiles within the target rocks at the time of impact. Rare examples of channels (190–650 m wide) on the surfaces of ejecta blankets, and on the inner walls of the crater Cerulli, indicate that in some instances liquid water was incorporated into the ejecta during its emplacement. No morphological evidence has been found to discount the idea that atmospheric effects were partially responsible for ejecta fluidization, but it is clear that these effects were not the sole reason for the characteristic lobate deposits surrounding at least some rampart craters on Mars.  相似文献   

9.
The 174 km diameter Terby impact crater (28.0°S-74.1°E) located on the northern rim of the Hellas basin displays anomalous inner morphology, including a flat floor and light-toned layered deposits. An analysis of these deposits was performed using multiple datasets from Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, with visible images for interpretation, near-infrared data for mineralogical mapping, and topography for geometry. The geometry of layered deposits was consistent with that of sediments that settled mainly in a sub-aqueous environment, during the Noachian period as determined by crater counts. To the north, the thickest sediments displayed sequences for fan deltas, as identified by 100 m to 1 km long clinoforms, as defined by horizontal beds passing to foreset beds dipping by 6-10° toward the center of the Terby crater. The identification of distinct sub-aqueous fan sequences, separated by unconformities and local wedges, showed the accumulation of sediments from prograding/onlapping depositional sequences, due to lake level and sediment supply variations. The mineralogy of several layers with hydrated minerals, including Fe/Mg phyllosilicates, supports this type of sedimentary environment. The volume of fan sediments was estimated as >5000 km3 (a large amount considering classical martian fan deltas such as Eberswalde (6 km3)) and requires sustained liquid water activity. Such a large sedimentary deposition in Terby crater is characteristic of the Noachian/Phyllosian period during which the environment favored the formation of phyllosilicates. The latter were detected by spectral data in the layered deposits of Terby crater in three distinct layer sequences. During the Hesperian period, the sediments experienced strong erosion, possibly enhanced by more acidic conditions, forming the current morphology with three mesas and closed depressions. Small fluvial valleys and alluvial fans formed subsequently, attesting to late fluvial processes dated as late Early to early Late Hesperian. After this late fluvial episode, the Terby impact crater was submitted to aeolian processes and permanent cold conditions with viscous flow features. Therefore, the Terby crater displays, in a single location, geologic features that characterize the three main periods of time on Mars, with the presence of one of the thickest sub-aqueous fan deposits reported on Mars. The filling of Terby impact crater is thus one potential “reference geologic cross-section” for Mars stratigraphy.  相似文献   

10.
Abstract— A model for emplacement of deposits of impact craters is presented that explains the size range of Martian layered ejecta craters between 5 km and 60 km in diameter in the low and middle latitudes. The impact model provides estimates of the water content of crater deposits relative to volatile content in the aquifer of Mars. These estimates together with the amount of water required to initiate fluid flow in terrestrial debris flows provide an estimate of 21% by volume (7.6 × 107km3) of water/ice that was stored between 0.27 and 2.5 km depth in the crust of Mars during Hesperian and Amazonian time. This would have been sufficient to supply the water for an ocean in the northern lowlands of Mars. The existence of fluidized craters smaller than 5 km diameter in some places on Mars suggests that volatiles were present locally at depths less than 0.27 km. Deposits of Martian craters may be ideal sites for searches for fossils of early organisms that may have existed in the water table if life originated on Mars.  相似文献   

11.
Before the Apollo 16 mission, the material of the Cayley Formation (a lunar smooth plains) was theorized to be of volcanic origin. Because Apollo 16 did not verify such interpretations, various theories have been published that consider the material to be ejecta of distant multiringed basins. Results presented in this paper indicate that the material cannot be solely basin ejecta. If smoothplains are a result of formation of these basins or other distant large craters, then the plains materials are mainly ejecta of secondary craters of these basins or craters with only minor contributions of primary-crater or basin ejecta. This hypothesis is based on synthesis of knowledge of the mechanics of ejection of material from impact craters, photogeologic evidence, remote measurements of surface chemistry, and petrology of lunar samples. Observations, simulations, and calculations presented in this paper show that ejecta thrown beyond the continuous deposits of large lunar craters produce secondary-impact craters that excavate and deposit masses of local material equal to multiples of that of the primary crater ejecta deposited at the same place. Therefore, the main influence of a large cratering event on terrain at great distances from such a crater is one of deposition of more material by secondary craters, rather than deposition of ejecta from the large crater. Examples of numerous secondary craters observed in and around the Cayley Formation and other smooth plains are presented. Evidence is given for significant lateral transport of highland debris by ejection from secondary craters and by landslides triggered by secondary impact. Primary-crater ejecta can be a significant fraction of a deposit emplaced by an impact crater only if the primary crater is nearby. Other proposed mechanisms for emplacement of smooth-plains formations are discussed, and implications regarding the origin of material in the continuous aprons surrounding large lunar craters is considered. It is emphasized that the importance of secondary-impact cratering in the highlands has in general been underestimated and that this process must have been important in the evolution of the lunar surface.  相似文献   

12.
The spatial distribution of volatiles in the Martian hydrolithosphere   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
In order to quantify the spatial distribution of volatiles on Mars, 2600 fluidized ejecta craters have been systematically measured, classified and mapped over the planet Mars, using 1 : 2 M scale USGS photomosaics. The latitudinal distribution of ejecta craters reveals that flower ejecta deposits (Type 1), together with low mobility ejecta, are frequently observed in the equatorial region and on ridged plains. Rampart craters (Type 2), with high mobility ejecta, occur at mid latitudes and exhibit a spatial relationship with polygonal patterns and pseudocrater areas. The increase of ejecta mobility with latitude attests for a concentration of volatiles at high latitudes. Statistical analysis shows that cratered uplands and ridged plains contain less volatile material near the surface than the underlying materials. In Chryse Planitia and Utopia Planitia the statistical study and the spatial relationships between polygonally fractured patterns, pseudocraters and the great number of high mobility ejecta deposits suggest the presence of a water-rich alluvial deposit close to the surface near the mouth of Chryse and Elysium channels. This result explains, on a more quantitative basis, the idea that fractured patterns were preferentially developed in a volatile-rich sedimentary deposits. The behaviour of volatiles, at 41 S, 257 W near Reull Vallis, exhibits a strong anomaly, with the presence of an abnormally volatile rich layer close to the surface.  相似文献   

13.
Scott C. Mest  David A. Crown 《Icarus》2005,175(2):335-359
The geology and stratigraphy of Millochau crater (21.4° S, 275° W), located in the highlands of Tyrrhena Terra, Mars, are documented through geomorphic analyses and geologic mapping. Crater size-frequency distributions and superposition relationships are used to constrain relative ages of geologic units and determine the timing and duration of the geologic processes that modified Millochau rim materials and emplaced deposits on Millochau's floor. Crater size-frequency distributions show a Middle Noachian age for rim materials and Middle Noachian to Early Hesperian ages for most of the interior deposits. Valley networks and gullies incised within Millochau's rim materials and interior wall, respectively, indicate fluvial activity was an important erosional process. Millochau contains an interior plateau, offset northeast of Millochau's center, which rises up to 400 m above the surrounding crater floor and slopes downward to the south and west. Layers exposed along the northern and eastern scarp boundaries of the plateau are tens to hundreds of meters thick and laterally continuous in MOC images. These layers suggest most materials within Millochau were emplaced by sedimentary processes (e.g., fluvial or eolian), with the potential for lacustrine deposition in shallow transient bodies of water and contributions of volcanic airfall. Mass wasting may have also contributed significant quantities of material to Millochau's interior, especially to the deposits surrounding the plateau. Superposition relationships combined with impact crater statistics indicate that most deposition and erosion of Millochau's interior deposits is ancient, which implies that fluvial activity in this part of Tyrrhena Terra is much older than in the eastern Hellas region. Eolian processes mobilized sediment to form complicated patterns of long- and short-wavelength dunes, whose emplacement is controlled by local topography. These deposits are some of the youngest within Millochau (Amazonian) and eolian modification may be ongoing.  相似文献   

14.
Morphological features on the western floor of Miyamoto crater in southwestern Meridiani Planum, Mars, are suggestive of past fluvial activity. Imagery from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) gives a detailed view of raised curvilinear features that appear to represent inverted paleochannel deposits. The inverted terrain appears to be capped with a resistant, dark-toned deposit that is partially covered by unconsolidated surficial materials. Subsequent to deposition of the capping layer, erosion of the surrounding material has left the capping materials perched on pedestals of uneroded basal unit material. Neither the capping material nor the surrounding terrains show any unambiguous morphological evidence of volcanism or glaciation. The capping deposit may include unconsolidated or cemented stream deposits analogous to terrestrial inverted channels in the Cedar Mountain Formation near Green River, Utah. In addition to this morphological evidence for fluvial activity, phyllosilicates have been identified in the basal material on the floor of Miyamoto crater by orbital spectroscopy, providing mineralogical evidence of past aqueous activity. Based on both the morphological and mineralogical evidence, Miyamoto crater represents an excellent site for in situ examination and sampling of a potentially habitable environment.  相似文献   

15.
We have developed an artificial neural net detector for use on board Mars rovers that correctly identifies calcite under Mars analogue dust (JSC Mars-1 regolith simulant) layers up to ∼100 μm thickness and 80% aerial coverage. Both the detector output and the band depth of the ∼2300 nm CO=3 absorption are linearly related to the surface area of exposed calcite. This detector provides a means for rapid and robust automated recognition of calcite on Mars in areas of active aeolian erosion.  相似文献   

16.
Abstract— The geometry of simple impact craters reflects the properties of the target materials, and the diverse range of fluidized morphologies observed in Martian ejecta blankets are controlled by the near‐surface composition and the climate at the time of impact. Using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data set, quantitative information about the strength of the upper crust and the dynamics of Martian ejecta blankets may be derived from crater geometry measurements. Here, we present the results from geometrical measurements of fresh craters 3–50 km in rim diameter in selected highland (Lunae and Solis Plana) and lowland (Acidalia, Isidis, and Utopia Planitiae) terrains. We find large, resolved differences between the geometrical properties of the freshest highland and lowland craters. Simple lowland craters are 1.5–2.0 times deeper (≥5s?o difference) with >50% larger cavities (≥2s?o) compared to highland craters of the same diameter. Rim heights and the volume of material above the preimpact surface are slightly greater in the lowlands over most of the size range studied. The different shapes of simple highland and lowland craters indicate that the upper ?6.5 km of the lowland study regions are significantly stronger than the upper crust of the highland plateaus. Lowland craters collapse to final volumes of 45–70% of their transient cavity volumes, while highland craters preserve only 25–50%. The effective yield strength of the upper crust in the lowland regions falls in the range of competent rock, approximately 9–12 MPa, and the highland plateaus may be weaker by a factor of 2 or more, consistent with heavily fractured Noachian layered deposits. The measured volumes of continuous ejecta blankets and uplifted surface materials exceed the predictions from standard crater scaling relationships and Maxwell's Z model of crater excavation by a factor of 3. The excess volume of fluidized ejecta blankets on Mars cannot be explained by concentration of ejecta through nonballistic emplacement processes and/or bulking. The observations require a modification of the scaling laws and are well fit using a scaling factor of ?1.4 between the transient crater surface diameter to the final crater rim diameter and excavation flow originating from one projectile diameter depth with Z = 2.7. The refined excavation model provides the first observationally constrained set of initial parameters for study of the formation of fluidized ejecta blankets on Mars.  相似文献   

17.
Most impacts occur at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane. This is primarily reflected in the ejecta distribution, but at very low angle structural asymmetries such as elongation of the crater and nonradial development of the central peak become apparent. Unfortunately, impact craters with pristine ejecta layers are rare on Earth and also in areas with strong past or ongoing surface erosion on other planetary bodies, and the structural analysis of central peaks requires good exposures or even on‐site access to outcrop. However, target properties are known to greatly influence the shape of the crater, especially the relatively common target configuration of a weaker layer covering a more rigid basement. One such effect is the formation of concentric craters, i.e., a nested, deeper, inner crater surrounded by a shallow, outer crater. Here, we show that with decreasing impact angle there is a downrange shift of the outer crater with respect to the nested crater. We use a combination of (1) field observation and published 3‐D numerical simulation of one of the best examples of a terrestrial, concentric impact crater formed in a layered target with preserved ejecta layer: the Lockne crater, Sweden; (2) remote sensing data for three pristine, concentric impact craters on Mars with preserved ejecta layers further constraining the direction of impact; as well as (3) laboratory impact experiments, to develop the offset in crater concentricity into a complementary method to determine the direction of impact for layered‐target craters with poorly preserved ejecta layers.  相似文献   

18.
Joseph Levy  James W. Head 《Icarus》2010,209(2):390-404
Hypotheses accounting for the formation of concentric crater fill (CCF) on Mars range from ice-free processes (e.g., aeolian fill), to ice-assisted talus creep, to debris-covered glaciers. Based on analysis of new CTX and HiRISE data, we find that concentric crater fill (CCF) is a significant component of Amazonian-aged glacial landsystems on Mars. We present mapping results documenting the nature and extent of CCF along the martian dichotomy boundary over −30 to 90°E latitude and 20-80°N longitude. On the basis of morphological analysis we classify CCF landforms into “classic” CCF and “low-definition” CCF. Classic CCF is most typical in the middle latitudes of the analysis area (∼30-50°N), while a range of degradation processes results in the presence of low-definition CCF landforms at higher and lower latitudes. We evaluate formation mechanisms for CCF on the basis of morphological and topographic analyses, and interpret the landforms to be relict debris-covered glaciers, rather than ice-mobilized talus or aeolian units. We examine filled crater depth-diameter ratios and conclude that in many locations, hundreds of meters of ice may still be present under desiccated surficial debris. This conclusion is consistent with the abundance of “ring-mold craters” on CCF surfaces that suggest the presence of near-surface ice. Analysis of breached craters and distal glacial deposits suggests that in some locations, CCF-related ice was once several hundred meters higher than its current level, and has sublimated significantly during the most recent Amazonian. Crater counts on ejecta blankets of filled and unfilled craters suggests that CCF formed most recently between ∼60 and 300 Ma, consistent with the formation ages of other martian debris-covered glacial landforms such as lineated valley fill (LVF) and lobate debris aprons (LDA). Morphological analysis of CCF in the vicinity of LVF and LDA suggests that CCF is a part of an integrated LVF/LDA/CCF glacial landsystem. Instances of morphological continuity between CCF, LVF, and LDA are abundant. The presence of formerly more abundant CCF ice, coupled with the integration of CCF into LVF and LDA, suggests the possibility that CCF represents one component of the significant Amazonian mid-latitude glaciation(s) on Mars.  相似文献   

19.
P.C. Thomas  P.B. James  R. Haberle 《Icarus》2009,203(2):352-798
The residual south polar cap (RSPC) of Mars includes a group of different depositional units of CO2 ice undergoing a variety of erosional processes. Complete summer coverage of the RSPC by ∼6-m/pixel data of the Context Imager (CTX) on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has allowed mapping and inventory of the units in the RSPC. Unit maps and estimated thicknesses indicate the total volume of the RSPC is currently <380 km3, and represents less than 3% of the total mass of the current Mars atmosphere. Scarp retreat rates in the CO2 ice derived from comparison of High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) data with earlier images are comparable to those obtained for periods up to 3 Mars years earlier. These rates, combined with sizes of depressions suggest that the oldest materials were deposited more than 125 Mars years ago. Most current erosion is by backwasting of scarps 1-12 m in height. This backwasting is initiated by a series of scarp-parallel fractures. In the older, thicker unit these fractures form about every Mars year; in thinner, younger materials they form less frequently. Some areas of the older, thicker unit are lost by downwasting rather than by the scarp retreat. A surprising finding from the HiRISE data is the scarcity of visible layering of RSPC materials, a result quite distinct from previous interpretations of layers in lower resolution images. Layers ∼0.1 m thick are exposed on the upper surfaces of some areas, but their timescale of deposition is not known. Late summer albedo changes mapped by the CTX images indicate local recycling of ice, although the amounts may be morphologically insignificant. Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) data show that the primary material of all the different forms of the RSPC is CO2 ice with only small admixtures of water ice and dust.  相似文献   

20.
Material is ejected from impact craters in ballastic trajectories; it impacts first near the crater rim and then at progressively greater ranges. Ejecta from craters smaller than approximately 1 km is laid predominantly on top of the surrounding surface. With increasing crater size, however, more and more surrounding surface will be penetrated by secondary cratering action and these preexisting materials will be mixed with primary crater ejecta. Ejecta from large craters and especially basin forming events not only excavate preexisting, local materials, but also are capable of moving large amounts of material away from the crater. Thus mixing and lateral transport give rise to continuous deposits that contain materials from within and outside the primary crater. As a consequence ejecta of basins and large highland craters have eroded and mixed highland materials throughout geologic time and deposited them in depressions inside and between older crater structures.Because lunar mare surfaces contain few large craters, the mare regolith is built up by successive layers of predominantly primary ejecta. In contrast, the lunar highlands are dominated by the effects of large scale craters formed early in lunar history. These effects lead to thick fragmental deposits which are a mixture of primary crater material and local components. These deposits may also properly be named regolith though the term has been traditionally applied only to the relatively thin fine grained surficial deposit on mare and highland terranes generated during the past few billion year. We believe that the surficial highland regolith - generated over long periods of time - rests on massive fragmental units that have been produced during the early lunar history.  相似文献   

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