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Multiring Structure, Valhalla Type

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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms
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Definition

An impact basin that characteristically exhibits a central high albedo patch surrounded by a system of concentric ridges and/or troughs.

Synonyms

Multiring basin; Ring structure; Ripple ring basin (uncommon); Valhalla class multiring basin

Description

At the center of these structures, there is usually a palimpsest-like bright patch. It is surrounded by several to a few dozen arcuate, concentric structural rings. These rings may be variously ridges, inward- or outward-facing normal faults or grabens, and, in the largest examples, may extend up to thousands of kilometers from the basin center (Passey and Shoemaker 1982; Schenk 1995). In poorly resolved examples, the rings may be albedo lineaments only.

Formation

Its formation is thought to depend on the rheological conditions in the subsurface. The existence and extent of the exterior ring systems around the impact crater depend in part on the thickness of the mechanical lithosphere. Valhalla class multiring basins are formed...

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Correspondence to William B. McKinnon .

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McKinnon, W.B. (2014). Multiring Structure, Valhalla Type. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_513-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_513-1

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