Multi-ringed basin

Valhalla Basin on Jupiter's moon Callisto, taken by Voyager 1

A multi-ringed basin (also a multi-ring impact basin) is not a simple bowl-shaped crater, or a peak ring crater, but one containing multiple concentric topographic rings;^[1] a multi-ringed basin could be described as a massive impact crater, surrounded by circular chains of mountains^[2] resembling rings on a bull's-eye. A multi-ringed basin may have an area of many thousands of square kilometres.^[3]

An impact crater of diameter bigger than about 180 miles (290 km) is referred to as a basin.^[4]

Mare Orientale, on Earth's Moon

The structure of multi-ring basins[]

In adjacent rings, the ratio of the diameters approximates √2:1 ≈ 1.41 to 1.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Formation[]

To start, a peak ring crater has

one peak-ring, i.e., a crater rim, which is generally circular, and
a mountainous region which surrounds the basin center.

A multi-ringed basin has an important difference, which is multiple peak-rings.

In extremely large collisions, following the impact the rebound of the surface can obliterate any trace of the initial impact point. Usually a peak ring crater has a high structure with a terrace, and has slump structures inside of it. In 2016, research brought forward new theories about the lunar mare called Mare Orientale on Earth's Moon, as to how it formed.^[8]

Multi-ring basins are some of the largest, oldest, rarest and least understood of impact craters. There are various theories to explain the formation of multi-ringed basis, however there is currently no consensus.^[9]^[10]

Examples[]

In Mexico Chicxulub crater has a sufficient area to have been a multi-ringed basin,^[11]
On the largest moon of Jupiter, Ganymede, is a multi-ringed basin,
On the moon of Saturn, Dione, Evander is a multi-ringed basin,
On Mercury, Caloris Basin, surrounded by Caloris Montes is a multi-ringed basin,
The Earth's Moon, Mare Orientale is a multi-ringed basin, created by an impactor perhaps 285 miles in diameter, near as wide as the state of New York, traveling at 9 miles per second, or about 32,400 miles per hour,^[12]
On Jupiter's moon Callisto, Valhalla is a multi-ringed basin.

References[]

^ Head, J. W. (January 2010). "Transition from complex craters to multi-ringed basins on terrestrial planetary bodies: Scale-dependent role of the expanding melt cavity and progressive interaction with the displaced zone" (PDF). Geophysical Research Letters. 37 (2): L02203. Bibcode:2010GeoRL..37.2203H. doi:10.1029/2009GL041790.
^ "Lunar Landforms Teacher Page". Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium, Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i. 1998. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
^ "Multiringed basin". Encyclopedia Britannica. February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^ Parrish, Alton (October 29, 2016). "How Multi-Ring Craters Form Revealed by New Research". Ideas, Inventions And Innovations. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^ "Multi-Ring Basin". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^ Moons & Planets, William K. Hartmann, 2005, p.255ff
^ Martellato, Elena (January 31, 2011). The importance of being a crater: A tool in planetary surface analysis and datation (PDF) (PhD Thesis). Università degli Studi di Padova. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^ Stacey, Kevin (October 27, 2016). "Research helps explain formation of ringed crater on the Moon". News from Brown. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^ Potter, Ross W.K. (November 2015). "Investigating the onset of multi-ring impact basin formation" (PDF). Icarus. 261: 91–99. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...91P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-20.
^ Stuart Ross Taylor (1982). "Meteorite impacts, craters and multi-ring basins" (PDF). Planetary Science: A Lunar Perspective. Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
^ McKinnon, W. B.; Alexopoulos, J. S. "Some implications of large impact craters and basins on Venus for terrestrial ringed craters and planetary evolution". KT Event and Other Catastrophes. hdl:2060/19940023803.
^ Chu, Jennifer (October 27, 2016). "Retracing the origins of a massive, multi-ring crater". MIT News. Retrieved 20 January 2019.

External links and references[]

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[Transition_from_complex_craters_to_multi-ringed_basins_on_terrestrial_planetary_bodies:_Scale-dependent_role_of_the_expanding_melt_cavity_and_progressive_interaction_with_the_displaced_zone-1] Head, J. W. (January 2010). "Transition from complex craters to multi-ringed basins on terrestrial planetary bodies: Scale-dependent role of the expanding melt cavity and progressive interaction with the displaced zone" (PDF). Geophysical Research Letters. 37 (2): L02203. Bibcode:2010GeoRL..37.2203H. doi:10.1029/2009GL041790.

[Lunar_Landforms_Teacher_Page-2] "Lunar Landforms Teacher Page". Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium, Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i. 1998. Retrieved 18 January 2019.

[Multiringed_basin_ASTRONOMY-3] "Multiringed basin". Encyclopedia Britannica. February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2019.

[How_Multi-Ring_Craters_Form_Revealed_by_New_Research-4] Parrish, Alton (October 29, 2016). "How Multi-Ring Craters Form Revealed by New Research". Ideas, Inventions And Innovations. Retrieved January 20, 2019.

[Multi-Ring_Basin-5] "Multi-Ring Basin". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved January 20, 2019.

[6] Moons & Planets, William K. Hartmann, 2005, p.255ff

[The_importance_of_being_a_crater:_A_tool_in_planetary_surface_analysis_and_datation-7] Martellato, Elena (January 31, 2011). The importance of being a crater: A tool in planetary surface analysis and datation (PDF) (PhD Thesis). Università degli Studi di Padova. Retrieved January 20, 2019.

[Research_helps_explain_formation_of_ringed_crater_on_the_Moon-8] Stacey, Kevin (October 27, 2016). "Research helps explain formation of ringed crater on the Moon". News from Brown. Retrieved 20 January 2019.

[Investigating_the_onset_of_multi-ring_impact_basin_formation-9] Potter, Ross W.K. (November 2015). "Investigating the onset of multi-ring impact basin formation" (PDF). Icarus. 261: 91–99. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...91P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-20.

[Meteorite_impacts,_craters_and_multi-ring_basins-10] Stuart Ross Taylor (1982). "Meteorite impacts, craters and multi-ring basins" (PDF). Planetary Science: A Lunar Perspective. Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 19 January 2019.

[Some_implications_of_large_impact_craters_and_basins_on_Venus_for_terrestrial_ringed_craters_and_planetary_evolution-11] McKinnon, W. B.; Alexopoulos, J. S. "Some implications of large impact craters and basins on Venus for terrestrial ringed craters and planetary evolution". KT Event and Other Catastrophes. hdl:2060/19940023803.

[Retracing_the_origins_of_a_massive,_multi-ring_crater-12] Chu, Jennifer (October 27, 2016). "Retracing the origins of a massive, multi-ring crater". MIT News. Retrieved 20 January 2019.

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