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Crater

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms

  • 21 Accesses

Definition

A circular depression (IAU Gazetteer 2011) or a circular or subcircular depression generally bounded by a raised rim (Wilhelms 1987, p. 3).

Subtypes

  1. (1)

    Explosive crater

    1. (1.1)

      Primary impact structure produced by shock waves resulting from a hypervelocity impact. The term “crater” usually refers to smaller (approx. <300 km on the Moon) impact craters (simple crater, complex crater); larger craters, usually with inner and external rings are termed basins.

    2. (1.2)

      Secondary impact crater (secondary crater).

    3. (1.3)

      Volcanic crater (caldera [explosive], pit crater, crater of a composite volcano).

  2. (2)

    Nonexplosive “crater” (only informally called craters)

    1. (2.1)

      Collapsed tumulus

    2. (2.2)

      Collapsed pingo

    3. (2.3)

      Collapse caldera

    4. (2.4)

      Pit: rimless depression of any origin

      1. (2.4.1)

        Pit crater: generally refers to volcanic, magmatic, or tectonic pits.

      2. (2.4.2)

        Penetration pit: the depression produced without shock waves by a low-velocity impact.

        ...

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References

  • Greeley R, Gault DRE (1979) Endogenic craters on basaltic lava flows: size frequency distribution. Lunar Planet Sci Conf 10:2919–2933

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  • IAU (1962) Commission Pour L’etude Physique des Planetes et des Satellites In: Sadler DH (Ed) Proceedings of the eleventh general assembly (Berkeley 1961) transactions of the IAU, vol XIB. Academic, London

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  • IAU Gazetteer (2011) Gazetter of planetary nomenclature. International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/

  • Wilhelms DE (1987) The geologic history of the moon. USGS Professional paper 1348

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Ames Research Center/NPP, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA

    Henrik Hargitai

Authors
  1. Henrik Hargitai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henrik Hargitai .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Ames Research Center/NPP, Moffett Field, CA, USA

    Henrik Hargitai

  2. Konkoly Thege Miklos Astronomical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Ákos Kereszturi

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Hargitai, H. (2015). Crater. In: Hargitai, H., Kereszturi, Á. (eds) Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_71

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