Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Mars is covered in impact craters of varying sizes formed within a diversity of target lithologies, including lava flows and clastic materials (e.g., sedimentary rocks and volcaniclastics). Using 1-meter digital elevation models (DEMs) from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and 3D Spatial Analyst tools in ArcGIS, the morphometric variables of impact craters were quantified to reveal differences in the erodibility of craters and ejecta blankets in different target rocks. Craters 100m to 1 km in size were chosen by known geologic context including the Gusev crater lava plains (lava flows), Elysium Planitia (lava flows with possible clastic rocks at depth), Gale Crater (alluvial fan and lacustrine sedimentary rocks), Jezero Crater (deltaic and lacustrine sediments), and Hellas impact basin (light-toned, layered deposits) to evaluate how impact crater morphology varies with lithology in three dimensions. The results of this analysis indicate that craters formed in known clastic rocks are more eroded, and have lower depth-to-diameter and rim height-to-diameter ratios than craters impacted into basalts. Furthermore, based on ejecta volume data, craters superposed on the lava plains of Gusev Crater (basaltic control locality) are the least degraded of all craters when compared to craters of similar size and age at other locations, including at Elysium Planitia where the InSight lander is thought to rest entirely on basaltic lava. Based on the observed evidence and calculations of crater ejecta, we can conclude that using crater morphology and state of erosion is a good predictor of target base lithology of impact sites.
Recommended Citation
Norton, Jesse, "255-Comparing the Morphology of Impact Craters in Different Target Lithologies" (2024). GREAT Day Posters. 73.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2024/posters-2024/73
255-Comparing the Morphology of Impact Craters in Different Target Lithologies
Mars is covered in impact craters of varying sizes formed within a diversity of target lithologies, including lava flows and clastic materials (e.g., sedimentary rocks and volcaniclastics). Using 1-meter digital elevation models (DEMs) from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and 3D Spatial Analyst tools in ArcGIS, the morphometric variables of impact craters were quantified to reveal differences in the erodibility of craters and ejecta blankets in different target rocks. Craters 100m to 1 km in size were chosen by known geologic context including the Gusev crater lava plains (lava flows), Elysium Planitia (lava flows with possible clastic rocks at depth), Gale Crater (alluvial fan and lacustrine sedimentary rocks), Jezero Crater (deltaic and lacustrine sediments), and Hellas impact basin (light-toned, layered deposits) to evaluate how impact crater morphology varies with lithology in three dimensions. The results of this analysis indicate that craters formed in known clastic rocks are more eroded, and have lower depth-to-diameter and rim height-to-diameter ratios than craters impacted into basalts. Furthermore, based on ejecta volume data, craters superposed on the lava plains of Gusev Crater (basaltic control locality) are the least degraded of all craters when compared to craters of similar size and age at other locations, including at Elysium Planitia where the InSight lander is thought to rest entirely on basaltic lava. Based on the observed evidence and calculations of crater ejecta, we can conclude that using crater morphology and state of erosion is a good predictor of target base lithology of impact sites.