Definition
- (1)
As a structural unit: a very degraded complex crater found on icy satellites that formed very early in the satellite’s history, noted for its lack of relief.
- (2)
As a descriptive/albedo unit: circular patches on icy satellites generally higher in albedo than their surrounding terrains, exhibiting little topographic relief (Smith et al. 1979b).
Synonyms
Description
Palimpsests are large, circular, low-relief impact scars appearing as circular, generally bright patches on Ganymede and Callisto (and perhaps elsewhere). The edges are circular and locally lobate on a 10 km scale (Jones et al. 2003). These structures lack rims but can have internal, concentric ridges (Patterson et al. 2010).
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Dombard, A. (2014). Palimpsest. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_249-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_249-1
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