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1.
Alex Woronow 《Icarus》1981,45(2):320-330
Measurements of extents of rampart ejecta deposits as a function of the size of the parent craters support models which, for craters larger than about 6 km diameter, constrain ejecta blankets to all have a similar maximum thickness regardless of the crater size. These volatile-rich ejecta blankets may have failed under their own weights, then flowed radially outward. Assuming this to be so, we can then determine some of the physicomechanical properties of the ejecta deposits at the time of their emplacement. Finite-element studies of the stress magnitudes, distributions, and directions in hypothetical Martian rampart ejecta blankets reveal that the material most likely failed when the shear stresses were less than 500 kPa and the angle of internal friction was between 26 and 36°. These figures imply that the ejecta has a water content between 16 and 72%. Whether the upper limit or the lower limit is more appropriate depends on the mode of failure which one presumes; namely, viscous flow or plastic deformation.  相似文献   

2.
Abstract— We used Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), Thermal Emission Imaging System visible light (THEMIS VIS), and Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) data to identify and characterize the morphology and geometry of the distal ramparts surrounding Martian craters. Such information is valuable for investigating the ejecta emplacement process, as well as searching for spatial variations in ejecta characteristics that may be due to target material properties and/or latitude, altitude, or temporal variations in the climate. We find no systematic trend in rampart height that would indicate regional variations in target properties for 54 ramparts at 37 different craters 5.7–35.9 km in diameter between 52.3°S to 47.6°N. Rampart heights for multi‐lobe and single‐lobe ejecta are each normally distributed with a common standard deviation, but statistically distinct mean values. Ramparts range in height from 20–180 m, are not symmetric, are typically steeper on their distal sides, and may be as much as ?4 km wide. The ejecta blanket proximal to parent crater from the rampart may be very thin (<5 m). A detailed analysis of two craters, Toconao crater (21°S, 285°E) (28 measurements), and an unnamed crater within Chryse Planitia (28.4°N, 319.6°E) (20 measurements), reveals that ejecta runout distance increases with an increase in height between the crater rim and the rampart, but that rampart height is not correlated with ejecta runout distance or the thickness of the ejecta blanket.  相似文献   

3.
Abstract— We are testing the idea of Squyres et al. (1992) that rampart craters on Mars may have formed over a significant time period and therefore the onset diameter (minimum diameter of a rampart crater) only reflects the ground ice depth at a given time. We measured crater size frequencies on the layered ejecta of rampart craters in three equatorial regions to derive absolute model ages and to constrain the regional volatile history. Nearly all rampart craters in the Xanthe Terra region are ?3.8 Gyr old. This corresponds to the Noachian fluvial activity that region. Rampart crater formation declines in the Hesperian, whereas onset diameters (minimum diameter) increase. No new rampart craters formed after the end of the Hesperian (?3 Gyr). This indicates a lowering of the ground ice table with time in the Xanthe Terra region. Most rampart craters in the Valles Marineris region are around 3.6 Gyr old. Only one large, probably Amazonian‐aged (?2.5 Gyr), rampart crater exists. These ages indicate a volatile‐rich period in the Early Hesperian and a lowering of the ground ice table with time in the Valles Marineris study region. Rampart craters in southern Chryse Planitia, which are partly eroded by fluvial activity, show ages around 3.9 Gyr. Rampart craters superposed on channels have ages between ?1.5 and ?0.6 Gyr. The onset diameter (3 km at ?1.5 Gyr) in this region may indicate a relatively shallow ground ice table. Loss of volatiles due to diffusion and sublimation might have lowered the ground ice table even in the southern Chryse Planitia region afterwards. In general, our study implies a formation of the smallest rampart craters within and/or shortly after periods of fluvial activity and a subsequent lowering of the ground ice table indicated by increasing onset diameter to the present. These results question the method to derive present equatorial ground ice depths from the onset diameter of rampart craters without information about their formation time.  相似文献   

4.
The about 10.5 km diameter Bosumtwi impact crater is one of the youngest large impact structures on Earth. The crater rim is readily noticed on topographic maps or in satellite imagery. It defines a circular basin filled by water (Lake Bosumtwi) and lacustrine sediments. The morphology of this impact structure is also characterized by a circular plateau extending beyond the rim and up to 9–10 km from the center of the crater (about 2 crater radii). This feature comprises a shallow ring depression, also described as an annular moat, and a subdued circular ridge at its outer edge. The origin of this outermost feature could so far not be elucidated based on remote sensing data only. Our approach combines detailed topographic analysis, including roughness mapping, with airborne radiometric surveys (mapping near‐surface K, Th, U concentrations) and field observations. This provides evidence that the moat and outer ring are features inherited from the impact event and represent the partially eroded ejecta layer of the Bosumtwi impact structure. The characteristics of the outer ridge indicate that ejecta emplacement was not purely ballistic but requires ejecta fluidization and surface flow. The setting of Bosumtwi ejecta can therefore be considered as a terrestrial analog for rampart craters, which are common on Mars and Venus, and also found on icy bodies of the outer solar system (e.g., Ganymede, Europa, Dione, Tethys, and Charon). Future studies at Bosumtwi may therefore help to elucidate the mechanism of formation of rampart craters.  相似文献   

5.
We investigate the elevated crater rims of lunar craters. The two main contributors to this elevation are a structural uplift of the preimpact bedrock and the emplacement of ejecta on top of the crater rim. Here, we focus on five lunar complex mare craters with diameters ranging between 16 and 45 km: Bessel, Euler, Kepler, Harpalus, and Bürg. We performed 5281 measurements to calculate precise values for the structural rim uplift and the ejecta thickness at the elevated crater rim. The average structural rim uplift for these five craters amounts to SRU = 70.6 ± 1.8%, whereas the ejecta thickness amounts to ET = 29.4 ± 1.8% of the total crater rim elevation. Erosion is capable of modifying the ratio of ejecta thickness to structural rim uplift. However, to minimize the impact of erosion, the five investigated craters are young, pristine craters with mostly preserved ejecta blankets. To quantify how strongly craters were enlarged by crater modification processes, we reconstructed the dimensions of the transient crater. The difference between the transient crater diameter and the final crater diameter can extend up to 11 km. We propose reverse faulting and thrusting at the final crater rim to be one of the main contributing factors of forming the elevated crater rim.  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.
We compare three previously independently studied crater morphologies - excess ejecta craters, perched craters, and pedestal craters - each of which has been proposed to form from impacts into an ice-rich surface layer. Our analysis identifies the specific similarities and differences between the crater types; the commonalities provide significant evidence for a genetic relationship among the morphologies. We use new surveys of excess ejecta and perched craters in the southern hemisphere in conjunction with prior studies of all of the morphologies to create a comprehensive overview of their geographic distributions and physical characteristics. From these analyses, we conclude that excess ejecta craters and perched craters are likely to have formed from the same mechanism, with excess ejecta craters appearing fresh while perched craters have experienced post-impact modification and infilling. Impacts that led to these two morphologies overwhelmed the ice-rich layer, penetrating into the underlying martian regolith, resulting in the excavation of rock that formed the blocky ejecta necessary to armor the surface and preserve the ice-rich deposits. Pedestal craters, which tend to be smaller in diameter, have the same average deposit thickness as excess ejecta and perched craters, and form in the same geographic regions. They rarely have ejecta around their crater rims, instead exhibiting a smooth pedestal surface. We interpret this to mean that they form from impacts into the same type of ice-rich paleodeposit, but that they do not penetrate through the icy surface layer, and thus do not generate a blocky ejecta covering. Instead, a process related to the impact event appears to produce a thin, indurated surface lag deposit that serves to preserve the ice-rich material. These results provide a new basis to identify the presence of Amazonian non-polar ice-rich deposits, to map their distribution in space and time, and to assess Amazonian climate history. Specifically, the ages, distribution and physical attributes of the crater types suggest that tens to hundreds of meters of ice-rich material has been episodically emplaced at mid latitudes in both hemispheres throughout the Amazonian due to obliquity-driven climate variations. These deposits likely accumulated more frequently in the northern lowlands, resulting in a larger population of all three crater morphologies in the northern hemisphere.  相似文献   

8.
Mark Settle  James W. Head 《Icarus》1977,31(1):123-135
The variation of rim topography as a function of range from the crater rim has been determined for a group of morphologically fresh lunar craters (D = 10–140 km) using the recent series of Lunar Topographic Orthophotomaps. The rate at which exterior crater topography converges with the surrounding surface is highly variable along different radial directions at individual craters as well as between different craters. At several craters, oblique impact appears to have contributed to azimuthal elevation/range variations. The topographic expression of a crater above the surrounding surface typically decreases to one-tenth of the estimated rim height at a range of 1.3R–1.7R, well within the rough-textured ejecta deposit surrounding the crater. Comparisons with terrestrial craters suggest that the topographic crater rim is predominantly a structural feature. In most craters large portions of the hummocky facies and virtually all of the radial facies, in spite of their rough appearance and local topographic variations, provide no significant net topographic addition to the preexisting surface. The extreme variability of crater rim topography strongly suggests that ejecta thicknesses are highly variable and that a unique power-law expression cannot truly represent the radial variation of ejecta deposit thickness.  相似文献   

9.
Abstract— We have surveyed Martian impact craters greater than 5 km in diameter using Viking and thermal emission imaging system (THEMIS) imagery to evaluate how the planform of the rim and ejecta changes with decreasing impact angle. We infer the impact angles at which the changes occur by assuming a sin2θ dependence for the cumulative fraction of craters forming below angle θ. At impact angles less than ?40° from horizontal, the ejecta become offset downrange relative to the crater rim. As the impact angle decreases to less than ?20°, the ejecta begin to concentrate in the cross‐range direction and a “forbidden zone” that is void of ejecta develops in the uprange direction. At angles less than ?10°, a “butterfly” ejecta pattern is generated by the presence of downrange and uprange forbidden zones, and the rim planform becomes elliptical with the major axis oriented along the projectile's direction of travel. The uprange forbidden zone appears as a “V” curving outward from the rim, but the downrange forbidden zone is a straight‐edged wedge. Although fresh Martian craters greater than 5 km in diameter have ramparts indicative of surface ejecta flow, the ejecta planforms and the angles at which they occur are very similar to those for lunar craters and laboratory impacts conducted in a dry vacuum. The planforms are different from those for Venusian craters and experimental impacts in a dense atmosphere. We interpret our results to indicate that Martian ejecta are first emplaced predominantly ballistically and then experience modest surface flow.  相似文献   

10.
Abstract— Terrestrial impact structures provide field evidence for cratering processes on planetary bodies that have an atmosphere and volatiles in the target rocks. Here we discuss two examples that may yield implications for Martian craters: 1. Recent field analysis of the Ries crater has revealed the existence of subhorizontal shear planes (detachments) in the periphery of the crater beneath the ejecta blanket at 0.9–1.8 crater radii distance. Their formation and associated radial outward shearing was caused by weak spallation and subsequent dragging during deposition of the ejecta curtain. Both processes are enhanced in rheologically layered targets and in the presence of fluids. Detachment faulting may also occur in the periphery of Martian impacts and could be responsible for the formation of lobe‐parallel ridges and furrows in the inner layer of double‐layer and multiple‐layer ejecta craters. 2. The ejecta blanket of the Chicxulub crater was identified on the southeastern Yucatán Peninsula at distances of 3.0–5.0 crater radii from the impact center. Abundance of glide planes within the ejecta and particle abrasion both rise with crater distance, which implies a ground‐hugging, erosive, and cohesive secondary ejecta flow. Systematic measurement of motion indicators revealed that the flow was deviated by a preexisting karst relief. In analogy with Martian fluidized ejecta blankets, it is suggested that the large runout was related to subsurface volatiles and the presence of basal glide planes, and was influenced by eroded bedrock lithologies. It is proposed that ramparts may result from enhanced shear localization and a stacking of ejecta material along internal glide planes at decreasing flow rates when the flow begins to freeze below a certain yield stress.  相似文献   

11.
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   

12.
Abstract— We present numerical simulations of crater formation under Martian conditions with a single near‐surface icy layer to investigate changes in crater morphology between glacial and interglacial periods. The ice fraction, thickness, and depth to the icy layer are varied to understand the systematic effects on observable crater features. To accurately model impact cratering into ice, a new equation of state table and strength model parameters for H2O are fitted to laboratory data. The presence of an icy layer significantly modifies the cratering mechanics. Observable features demonstrated by the modeling include variations in crater morphometry (depth and rim height) and icy infill of the crater floor during the late stages of crater formation. In addition, an icy layer modifies the velocities, angles, and volumes of ejecta, leading to deviations of ejecta blanket thickness from the predicted power law. The dramatic changes in crater excavation are a result of both the shock impedance and the strength mismatch between layers of icy and rocky materials. Our simulations suggest that many of the unusual features of Martian craters may be explained by the presence of icy layers, including shallow craters with well‐preserved ejecta blankets, icy flow related features, some layered ejecta structures, and crater lakes. Therefore, the cratering record implies that near‐surface icy layers are widespread on Mars.  相似文献   

13.
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   

14.
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   

15.
Double-layered ejecta (DLE) craters are distinctive among the variety of crater morphologies observed on Mars, but the mechanism by which they form remains under debate. We assess two ejecta emplacement mechanisms: (1) atmospheric effects from ejecta curtain-induced vortices or a base surge and (2) ballistic emplacement followed by a landslide of ejecta assisted by either surface- or pore-ice. We conduct a morphological analysis of the ejecta facies for three DLE craters which impacted into irregular pre-existing topography. We find that the unique topographic environments affected the formation of grooves and the inner facies, and thus appear to be inconsistent with an atmospheric-effects origin but are supportive of the landslide hypothesis. We distinguish between the two landslide models (lubrication by either surface- or pore-ice) by assessing relationships between DLE crater ejecta and morphologic features indicative of buried ice deposits, including sublimation pits, ring-mold craters, expanded secondary craters, and excess ejecta craters. The association of DLE craters with these features suggests that surface ice was present at the time of the impacts that formed the DLE craters. We also compare the Froude numbers of DLE crater ejecta to landslides, and find that the ejecta of DLE craters are kinematically and frictionally similar to terrestrial landslides that overran glaciers. This suggests that the grooves on DLE craters may plausibly form through the same shear/splitting mechanism as the landslides. In summary, our analysis supports the hypothesis that DLE craters form through meteoroid impacts into decameters-thick surface ice deposits (emplaced during periods of higher obliquity) followed by ejecta sliding on the ice.  相似文献   

16.
The high-resolution Voyager images of Ganymede show a class of fresh craters 6–89 km in diameter which is distinguished by an ejecta blanket similar to those seen for some types of Martian craters. One hundred and eighty-five were identified and studied for trends with respect to latitude, longitude, and terrain type. No correlation of the ratio of ejecta diameter to crater diameter was found as a function of latitude or longitude, and there is only a suggestion of a trend in this ratio with respect to major terrain types. Central peak frequency is greatest for the smaller crater diameters. Central pit occurrence dominates central peak occurrence at crater diameters ?35 km. We conclude that the ejecta morphology probably results from impact into an icy target. The question of whether atmospheric ejecta-particle drag contributes to ejecta blanket morphologies on planets with an atmospheric cannot be resolved entirely from the Voyager images. The image resolution is insufficient to show diagnostic flow features on the ejecta, if they exist, or to detect evidence of any other ejecta deposits which would lie beyond the pedestal, predicted by some researchers to exist only on bodies with an atmosphere.  相似文献   

17.
Twenty-one lunar craters have radar bright ring appearances which are analogous to eleven complete ring features in the earth-based 12.5 cm observations of Venus. Radar ring diameters and widths for the lunar and Venusian features overlap for sizes from 45 to 100 km. Radar bright areas for the lunar craters are associated with the slopes of the inner and outer rim walls, while level crater floors and level ejecta fields beyond the raised portion of the rim have average radar backscatter. We propose that the radar bright areas of the Venusian rings are also associated with the slopes on the rims of craters.The lunar craters have evolved to radar bright rings via mass wasting of crater rim walls and via post impact flooding of crater floors. Aeolian deposits of fine-grained material on Venusian crater floors may produce radar scattering effects similar to lunar crater floor flooding. These Venusian aeolian deposits may preferentially cover blocky crater floors producing a radar bright ring appearance.We propose that the Venusian features with complete bright ring appearances and sizes less than 100 km are impact craters. They have the same sizes as lunar craters and could have evolved to radar bright rings via analogous surface processes.  相似文献   

18.
A model was developed for the mass distribution of fragments that are ejected at a given velocity for impact and explosion craters. The model is semiempirical in nature and is derived from (1) numerical calculations of cratering and the resultant mass versus ejection velocity, (2) observed ejecta blanket particle size distributions, (3) an empirical relationships between maximum ejecta fragment size and crater diameter, (4) measurements of maximum ejecta size versus ejecta velocity, and (5) an assumption on the functional form for the distribution of fragments ejected at a given velocity. This model implies that for planetary impacts into competent rock, the distribution of fragments ejected at a given velocity is broad; e.g., 68% of the mass of the ejecta at a given velocity contains fragments having a mass less than 0.1 times a mass of the largest fragment moving at that velocity. Using this model, we have calculated the largest fragment that can be ejected from asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and Earth as a function of crater diameter. The model is unfortunately dependent on the size-dependent ejection velocity limit for which only limited data are presently available from photography of high explosive-induced rock ejecta. Upon formation of a 50-km-diameter crater on an atmosphereless planet having the planetary gravity and radius of the Moon, Mars, and Earth, fragments having a maximum mean diameter of ≈30, 22, and 17 m could be launched to escape velocity in the ejecta cloud. In addition, we have calculated the internal energy of ejecta versus ejecta velocity. The internal energy of fragments having velocities exceeding the escape velocity of the moon (～2.4 km/sec) will exceed the energy required for incipient melting for solid silicates and thus, the fragments ejected from Mars and the Earth would be melted.  相似文献   

19.
Observations of high resolution photographs of part of one of the prominent rays of the lunar crater Copernicus show that there is a concentration of small bright rayed and haloed craters within the ray. These craters contribute to the overall ray brightness; they have been measured and their surface distribution has been mapped. Sixty-two percent of the bright craters can be identified from study of high resolution photographs as concentric impact craters. These craters contain in their ejecta blankets, rocks from the lunar substrate that are brighter than the adjacent mare surface. It is concluded that the brightness of the large ray from the crater Copernicus is due to the composite effect of many small concentric impact craters with rocky ejecta blankets. If this is the dominant mechanism for the production of other rays from Copernicus and other large lunar craters, then rays may not contain significant amounts of ejecta from the central crater or from large secondary craters. They may in fact only reflect local excavation of mare substrate material by myriads of small secondary or tertiary impact craters.  相似文献   

20.
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   

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