Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.5805b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #58.05
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We are conducting a comparison study of central pit craters on Mars and Ganymede, the first study of these features since the 1980's. We utilize THEMIS VIS and daytime IR data for Mars and Galileo and Voyager imagery for Ganymede. Our global study includes 1604 central pit craters on Mars (912 floor pits and 692 summit pits) and 471 central pit craters on Ganymede (all floor pits). Differences in central pit crater size between the two bodies are likely due to the difference in surface gravity and larger pits on Ganymede may be due to the icier crustal conditions. Central pit craters show no regional or terrain preferences in occurrence on either body. These craters show a range of preservational states, indicating the conditions favoring pit formation have existed throughout the histories of both Mars and Ganymede. No variation in excavation depth is seen with preservational state. Pit diameters display a linear relationship with crater diameter on Mars and for craters <70-km-diameter on Ganymede. Craters between 70 and 130 km on Ganymede display much larger pits relative to crater diameter while those >130 km are much smaller, suggesting the influence of thermal gradients and/or ice phase changes at depth. Central pit craters on Mars display no updomed floors, unlike their counterparts on Ganymede, indicating low (about 20%) concentrations of target ice can produce central pits. Projectile impact velocities are probably responsible for formation of central pit craters adjacent to non-pit craters of similar size and age. We have used the results of this study to constrain formation models for central pit craters. The central peak collapse and subsurface liquid layer models are not supported by this study. Our results are consistent with the target volatilization model, which also has new modeling support.
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