Lau (crater)
Lau Crater is an impact crater in the Mare Australe quadrangle of Mars, located at 74.4°S latitude and 107.8°W longitude. It is 104.9 km in diameter. It was named after Danish astronomer Hans E. Lau, and the name was approved in 1973 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).[1]
 Lau Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Curved ridges are probably eskers which formed under glaciers. | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Region | Mare Australe quadrangle |
| Coordinates | 74.4°S 107.8°W |
| Diameter | 105.9 km |
| Eponym | Hans E. Lau |
Close up of eskers in Lau Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). The dark lines are dust devil tracks. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Lau Crater.
The curved ridges observed on the crater floor are believed to be eskers, which form when streams run under a glacier.[2] These eskers would indicate a large, thick sheet of ice once covered this region. Dark lines in close view image are dust devil tracks.
See also
References
- "Lau". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- Namowitz, S., D. Stone. 1975. Earth Science The World We Live In. American Book Company. New York.
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