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Title:
Dating Simple Craters on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of Mars Using Morphometric Indices and Martian Epoch Terrains
Authors:
Chee, Y.; Hurtado, J. M.
Affiliation:
AA(The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968 United States ; ), AB(The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968 United States ; )
Publication:
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P31B-0146
Publication Date:
12/2006
Origin:
AGU
AGU Keywords:
5464 Remote sensing, 6200 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS, 6225 Mars, 6297 Instruments and techniques
Bibliographic Code:
2006AGUFM.P31B0146C

Abstract

We suggest a crater dating technique that correlates morphometric indices of simple impact craters to their age. We examine populations of craters from several Martian terrains of known age and, using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topographic dataset, we compute their rim-to-diameter ratio, depth-to-diameter ratio, slope, and eccentricity. Since these parameters will be systematically affected by the degree of degradation by erosional and depositional processes, they can be useful metrics for characterizing crater degradational process and also for estimating crater age. By considering the youngest surfaces on Mars, those of Amazonian age (< ca. 250 Ma), and sequentially examining surfaces of progressively older age (e.g. Herperian and Noachian), we characterize age populations of simple craters according to their degradational morphology. This is then used to calibrate a model for the degradational history of simple craters on Mars that can be used for geochronologic purposes. In addition, we can use the data to estimate the density of craters (craters/km2) of a given size and age expected on a surface. The applications of this statistical study of crater morphology include planetary geochronology and the identification of resurfacing events.
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