Chincoteague (crater)
 Chincoteague Crater, as seen by HiRISE. | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°30′N 236°00′W / 41.5°N 236.0°WCoordinates: 41°30′N 236°00′W / 41.5°N 236.0°W |
| Diameter | 37 km |
| Eponym | Chincoteague, Virginia, USA |
Chincoteague Crater is an impact crater in the Cebrenia quadrangle of Mars, located at 41.5° N and 236.0° W. It is 37.0 km in diameter and was named after a town in Virginia, USA.[1] Chincoteague Crater has a tiny central mound in the crater. Along the wall of Chincoteague Crater a number of gullies are visible.
It is located in a portion of the planet whose surface is young where only a few mid-sized craters exist and making it nearly noticeable. Other nearby craters include Kumara to the east-northeast, Nain almost to the east, almost to the west is Kufra and the smaller craters of Rynok and Naju to the north. South of the crater is Tinjar Valles and further northwest is Utopia Planitia where major craters are non-existent but some smaller ones.
Close-up of Chincoteague Crater, as seen by HiRISE. Image close up view of previous image. Note the gullies and associated landforms.
Chincoteague Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
Gullies on western wall of Chincoteague Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image.
Gullies
Chincoteague Crater displays gullies on its wall. Many ideas have been put forth to explain them. For many years, many researchers thought they were made by recent liquid water.[2] However, with more observations, other mechanisms became possible. It was observed that new gullies were forming today during the Martian spring when dry ice was able to sublimate (turn from a solid to a gas). Chunks of dry ice could accumulate in the cold winter months and then slide down when warmed. In the thin atmosphere of the planet they would ride on a cushion of gas that was coming off the pieces of dry ice.[3][4][5]
See also
References
- ↑ "Chincoteague (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ↑ Malin, M., Edgett, K. 2000. Evidence for recent groundwater seepage and surface runoff on Mars. Science 288, 2330–2335.
- ↑ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-226
- ↑ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_032078_1420
- ↑ http://www.space.com/26534-mars-gullies-dry-ice.html