Insight Into Formation Processes of Layered Ejecta Craters on Mars From Thermophysical Observations

Understanding the morphological characteristics of craters that are indicative of their formation environment can provide insight into surface geology. Layered ejecta (LE) craters, found on Mars and some other planetary bodies, have been hypothesized to have formed as a result of either interaction with subsurface volatiles (volatile fluidization model) and/or with the atmosphere (atmospheric entrainment model). Formation of LE craters by either model should result in different grain size distributions throughout the ejecta deposit. Using thermal inertia to infer surface properties, we investigated LE craters and their ejecta deposits in an effort to distinguish between possible LE formation processes on Mars. We used thermophysical properties of crater ejecta to determine grain size distribution, to model horizontal mixtures and vertical layering, and to identify materials present within the ejecta. We assessed the thermal properties of 50 uniformly sampled LE craters using Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) and Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data. Our THEMIS analysis identifies 12 craters with grain size distributions consistent with the volatile fluidization model, 3 craters that have characteristics potentially associated with either model, and 22 craters that do not exhibit characteristics matching either model. Our TES analysis identifies 11 craters with characteristics consistent with the volatile fluidization model and 8 craters that are consistent with the atmospheric entrainment model. While some observations of grain size distributions provide evidence for either or both models, there is not overwhelming support for either model, potentially due to uncertainties of derived thermal inertia data.

Automated summary

Understanding the morphological characteristics of LE craters on Mars can provide insights into their formation processes, particularly the volatile fluidization model and atmospheric entrainment model. Thermal analysis of 50 LE craters revealed varying grain size distributions, with some craters matching specific models while others do not, indicating uncertainty in model classification.