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Home , Becquerel (lunar crater), Bjerknes (lunar crater), Molesworth (crater), Secchi (Martian crater)

Updated Catalogs of Peak-Ring Basins and Protobasins on David M.H. Baker; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Contact: david.m.hollibaughbaker@.gov

A catalog of craters ≥1 km on Mars from Robbins et al. [2] was used to survey all craters >50 km on the planet (N=2,070) in a manner similar to [5,6] for the and Mercury. Motivation: II. Basin Images Datasets used included MOLA gridded topography and a global THEMIS daytime IR mosaic [7]. During the survey, each crater was identified as having a rim crest in addition to a single interior ring of peaks (peak-ring basin), an interior ring of peaks plus a central peak (protobasin), a central peak only (complex crater), or no interior structure (unclassified). • The morphology of peak-ring basins (exhibiting a rim crest and interior peak Schiaparelli; 446 km Schroeter; 292 km ; 223 km ; 222 km ; 217 km ; 202 km ; 199 km Phillips; 185 km ring) in the complex crater to basin transition on the Moon and Mercury have been well characterized based on data from recent missions to these planetary bodies [e.g., 1]. • Although global crater catalogs have recently been produced for Mars [e.g., 2], the detailed characteristics of the crater to basin transition on Mars has not been fully re-examined since basin ring catalogs and measurements were produced over two decades ago by Pike and Spudis [3], among others. • Here, previous basin catalogs [3] and the global crater catalog of Robbins Unnamed; 180 km ; 175 km ; 167 km ; 165 km Ptolemaeus; 165 km Dejnev 152 km Unnamed; 103 km ; 101 km et al. [2] are re-analyzed using topographic and image datasets to provide updated catalogs of peak-ring basins and protobasins on Mars. • These updated catalogs are important for comparisons with other planetary Galle; 223km

bodies [1], constraining basin formation models, and understanding the Peak-Ring Basins (16) original morphology of the abundant degraded craters on Mars.

Findings: Herschel; 298 km ; 220 km ; 154 km ; 153 km ; 153 km Liu Hsin; 135 km ; 121 km ; 89 km • A total of 16 peak-ring basins and 8 protobasins were identified, ranging in rim-crest diameter from 101 to 446 km (peak-ring basins) and 89 to 298 km (protobasins). exposed peak (possibly larger) • Nine of these basins are newly added to the catalog and not included in the previous catalog of [3]. Nine basins from [3] are also removed from the present catalogs, as current topography and image data do not support the Protobasins (8) presence of interior rings within these basins. • Although it has a larger surface area, Mars has nearly an order of magnitude fewer peak-ring basins than Mercury (N=110), which can be attributed to the planet’s much higher resurfacing and erosion rates. III. The Updated Basin Catalogs for Mars Peak-ring and/ 1000 • Like Mercury, the rim-crest diameters of both complex craters with central or central-peak peaks and protobasins overlap those of peak-ring basins over a much larger Updated basin catalogs. Below: Number of basins and craters with interior diameters versus 100 range than on the Moon. Name Lat. Lon. Dr Dpr Dcp structures as a fraction of the total crater populations [2]. rim-crest diameters • As noted by previous researchers, protobasins, such as Lyot, occur at Peak-Ring Basins Note the low number of craters and basins on Mars with for peak-ring basins Schiaparelli -2.51 16.80 446 239 -- recognizable interior peaks or rings due the higher erosion anomalously large diameters on Mars compared to Mercury and the Moon. Schroeter -1.90 55.99 292 142 -- and protobasins on The effect of volatiles on the basin-formation process is often used to explain Galle -50.65 -30.88 223 102 -- and resurfacing rates on the planet. This is most evident Mars only. Data from 10 Protobasin Kepler -46.75 141.16 222 120 -- Protobasin CP

when compared with the Moon and Mercury (below). Ring or (km) DiameterPeak this feature, but more modeling work is needed to fully explore this problem. Secchi -57.85 101.97 217 115 -- Pike and Spudis [3] Peak-Ring Basin Kaiser -46.16 19.11 202 98 -- 1 (PS87) are shown for PS87 Peak-Ring Basin PS87 Protobasin Lowell -51.95 -81.37 199 96 -- Other 0.9 comparison. 1 Acknowledgements Phillips -66.33 -44.79 185 104 -- Peak-ring basins 50 500 Unnamed -39.34 76.83 180 90 -- Protobasins Rim-crest Diameter (km) Support from a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship is gratefully acknowledged. 0.8 Molesworth -27.49 149.21 175 80 -- Complex Craters Proctor -47.57 29.69 167 81 -- Becquerel 21.89 -7.94 165 72 -- 0.7 Ratios of peak-ring 0.8 References: [1] Baker, D.M.H. and Head, J.W. (2013) Planet. Space Sci. 86, 91–116. [2] Ptolemaeus -45.89 -157.73 165 76 -- 0.7 Robbins, S.J. and Hynek, B.M. (2012) J. Geophys. Res. 117, E05004. [3] Pike, R.J. and Spudis, Dejnev -25.14 -164.64 152 68 -- 0.6 diameter to rim- Unnamed -9.07 150.51 103 33 -- crest diameter for P.D. (1987) Moon Planets 39, 129–194. [4] Allen, C.C. (2015) LPSC 46, no. 2787. [5] 0.5 0.6 Mie 48.12 139.69 101 30 -- peak-ring basins Baker, D.M.H. et al. (2011) Icarus 214, 377–393. [6] Baker, D.M.H. et al. (2011) Planet. Space Protobasins 0.5 Sci. 59, 1932–1948. [7] Edwards, C.S., et al. (2011) J. Geophys. Res. 116, E10008. Herschel -14.48 129.89 298 148 40 0.4 and protobasins crest Ratiocrest 0.4 Lyot 50.46 29.31 220 106 33 0.3 on Mars only. The Gale -5.37 137.81 154 87 18 0.3 Bakhuysen -22.97 15.76 153 57 29 ratio increases with Ring/Rim - Holden -26.04 -34.02 153 58 21 0.2 increasing basin 0.2 Liu Hsin -53.20 -171.51 135 41 19 Peak-Ring Basin size. The same 0.1 Barnard -61.08 61.55 121 50 12 0.1 Protobasin Fraction of Total Crater Population Fraction of Total Bjerknes -43.06 171.48 89 34 14 occurs on the Moon 0.0 0 50 150 250 350 450 Dr: rim-crest diameter (km); Dpr=peak-ring and Mercury (see 75 125 175 225 275 325 375 425 475 525 575 625 Rim-crest Diameter (km) diameter (km); Dcp: central-peak diameter (km). I. Global Distribution Rim-crest Diameter Bin Center (km) below). Peak-ring basins and protobasins are mainly located within the cratered southern highlands of Mars. Below is an equidistant cylindrical map of MOLA colored topography on a MOLA hillshade basemap. A) Peak-ring diameters versus 1000 IV. Comparisons with the Moon and Mercury Mars rim-crest diameters for peak-ring Mercury Number of basins and craters as a basins and protobasins on Mars, Moon Table of basin summary statistics, comparing the fraction of total crater populations [1]. the Moon [1,5], and Mercury Moon [1,5], Mercury [1,6] and Mars. Mars has the Moon [1,6]. The data fall along a similar 1 100 lowest population of preserved peak-ring basins even Other power-law trend. 0.9 Peak-ring basins though it has the greatest surface area. Protobasins Protobasins 0.8 Ring Diameter (km) also occur at anomalously large diameters on Mars. Complex Craters 0.7 Ratios of peak-ring diameter 0.6 A) Moon Mercury Mars to rim-crest diameter for peak- Gravitational acceleration (m/s2) 1.62 3.70 3.69 0.5 10 50 500 2 7 7 8 0.4 ring basins and protobasins on Surface area (km ) 3.8 x 10 7.5 x 10 1.4 x 10 Rim-crest Diameter (km) Mean impact velocity (km/s) 19.4 42.5 10.6 0.3 the Moon (B) and Mercury (C). 0.2 Peak-ring basins (Npr) 17 110 16 Note the similarly increasing 2 -7 -6 -7 0.1

Npr/km 4.5 x 10 1.5 x 10 1.1 x 10 Crater Population Fraction of Totlal ratios with basin size, suggesting Geometric mean diameter (km) 343 172 188 0 75 125 175 225 275 325 375 425 475 525 575 625 a continuum in process forming Minimum diameter (km) 207 84 101 Rim-crest Diameter Bin Center (km) Peak-ring basins and protobasins Maximum diameter (km) 582 320 446 protobasins and peak-ring basins. Onset diameter, method 1 (km) 206 109 (+23,-19) 132 (+35,-28) Mercury 0.8 0.8 Complex craters >50 km with central peaks 1 Other Moon Mercury Onset diameter, method 2 (km) 227 103 102 0.7 0.7 0.9 Peak-ring basins Protobasins (Nproto) 3 70 8 Protobasins 0.8 0.6 0.6 2 -8 -7 -8 Complex Craters Nproto/km 7.9 x 10 9.4 x 10 5.7 x 10 0.7 0.5 Geometric mean diameter (km) 157 92 155 0.5 0.6 crest Ratiocrest - Minimum diameter (km) 137 50 89 Ratiocrest 0.4 - 0.4 Maximum diameter (km) 170 195 298 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.4

Complex Craters ≥ 50 km (Ncpc) 430 682 311 Ring/Rim Ring/Rim 2 -5 -6 -6 0.2 Ncpc/km 1.1 x 10 9.1 x 10 2.2 x 10 0.3 0.2 Peak-Ring Basin Peak-Ring Basin 0.1 Geometric mean diameter (km) 75 70 75 0.2 0.1 Protobasin B) Protobasin C) Minimum diameter (km) 50 50 50 0.1 0.0 Maximum diameter (km) 205 168 182 Crater Population Fraction of Total 0.0 50 150 250 350 0 50 150 250 350 450 550 650 Rim-crest Diameter (km) 75 125 175 225 275 325 375 425 475 525 575 625 Rim-crest Diameter (km) Rim-crest Diameter Bin Center (km)