 Escalante Crater Wall, as seen byHiRISE. Picture on left is enlargement of the one on right. Scale bar is long. | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 0°12′N244°42′W / 0.2°N 244.7°W /0.2; -244.7 |
| Quadrangle | Amenthes |
| Eponym | Mexican astronomerF. Escalante |
Escalante Crater is an impact crater in theAmenthes quadrangle ofMars. It is located at 0.2° N and 244.7° W. It is 79.3 km (49.3 mi) in diameter, and was named after Mexican astronomer (c. 1930)Francisco Javier Escalante Plancarte [es].[1]
Impact craters generally have a rim with ejecta around them, in contrast volcanic craters usually do not have a rim or ejecta deposits. As craters get larger (greater than 10 km in diameter) they usually have a central peak.[2] The peak is caused by a rebound of the crater floor following the impact.[3] If one measures the diameter of a crater, the original depth can be estimated with various ratios. Because of this relationship, researchers have found that many Martian craters contain a great deal of material; much of it is believed to be ice deposited when the climate was different.[4] Sometimes craters expose layers that were buried. Rocks from deep underground are tossed onto the surface. Hence, craters can show us what lies deep under the surface.
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