Wednesday, December 7. 2011
A thin layer of regolith does not completely obscure the irregular shallow depressions, or negative relief features, surrounding the high-reflectance boulders or the much smaller (<10 m) rocks eroding nearby. These depressions probably represent collapsed pockets in the impact melt sheet, similar to those observed in the King crater impact melt. However, enough time has passed to accumulate a layer of regolith that obscures what was originally a distinct rim, smoothing the surroundings while also enhancing small rock erosion - due to micrometeorite impacts - on the melt sheet over time.
What other interactions between target material and impact melt can you find in the full LROC NAC image? Can you find evidence for additional negative relief features or pits in the impact melt deposit?
Related Posts: Impact melt in Anaxagoras crater
Ejecta in Tycho crater
The Chicken or the Egg?
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