Small Craters (Secondaries) on Mercury's Northern Plains
Abstract
We have tabulated crater diameters, positions, and morphological parameters for a typical NAC image, EN0210982250M, centered near 70°N and 321°E, taken on 11 April 2011 (Fig. 1) We conclude that secondary craters, of various sizes, formed at different times from primary craters near and far, overwhelmingly dominate the population of small craters (D<10 km) on Mercury's northern plains. Any plan for identifying primary craters with the intention of dating small units on Mercury will require thoroughly unravelling the complicated history of secondary craters.
- Publication:
-
EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011
- Pub Date:
- October 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011epsc.conf.1497C