Resen (Martian crater)
Resen is a crater in the Mare Tyrrhenum quadrangle on Mars, located at 28.22° South and 251.13° West. It is 7.4 km in diameter and was named after a place in Macedonia. The name was approved in 2011.[1] Some parts of the crater display a high concentration of closely spaced pits. Pits show little or no evidence of rims or ejecta. The pits are so close to each other that adjacent pits often share the same wall. It is believed that the pits form from steam produced when the heat from the impact process interacts with ice in the ground.[2][3]
Resen Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
Resen Crater as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Besides showing the ejecta, image shows small pits on crater floor caused by escaping steam. Note: this image is an enlargement of the previous image of Resen.
Pits on floor of Resen Crater, as seen by HiRISE. Pits were formed when heat from impact vaporized ice in the ground.
References
- ↑ http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/
- ↑ Boyce, J. et al. 2012. Origin of small pits in Martian impact craters. Icarus: 221, 262-275.
- ↑ Tornabene, L., et al. 2012. Widspread crater-related pitted materials on Mars: Further evidence for the role of target volatiles during the impact process. Icarus: 220, 348-368.
See also
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