Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera

Layer of Pyroclastics

Northeastern wall of Bode C crater. LROC NAC M139938121L. Image center is 12.276°N 355.165°E, image width is 600 m. Downslope is toward bottom right, north towards the top [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]. 

Today's Featured Image highlights the slope of the northeastern crater wall inside Bode C. The Bode C crater is 7 km in diameter, and located at eastern edge of Mare Insularum. Low reflectance material flowed down the middle of the wall, possibly indicating a subsurface layered structure of low reflectance materials along this elevation. Dark streaks are found along an almost constant elevation throughout the whole crater. Thus the spatial extent of this layer is likely more than the crater diameter. 

Rima Bode, one of many Dark Mantle Deposits (DMD), is located about 20 km east from this crater. DMDs are thought to be formed as fire fountaining eruptions spread ash around a vent. The size of Rima Bode is about 70 by 80 km, with a crescent shape extending northwest and southwest direction. If this DMD distributed ash to the west, Bode C could have excavated this layer of Rima Bode's pyroclastics, thus explaining the dark streaks on its crater wall. High resolution images of impact craters give scientists a lot of information about the crater itself, but also tell about the surrounding geologic structures and history.  

Bode C crater and surrounding area in LROC WAC monochrome mosaic (100 m/pix). Image center is 6.14°N, 177.60°E. The NAC footprint (blue box) and the location of opening image (yellow arrow) are indicated [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]. 

Explore the streaks of low reflectance materials inside Bode C in full NAC frame!

Related posts:

Rima Bode: Constellation region of interestPyroclastic TrailsHyginus Crater and PyroclasticsDark Wisps in CopernicusDark streaks in Diophantus craterLow Reflectance Deposits on the Lassell MassifDMD ExcavationsPyroclastic Excavation


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