The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury

Abstract Whether or not self‐secondaries dominate small crater populations on continuous ejecta deposits and floors of fresh impact craters has long been a controversy. This issue potentially affects the age determination technique using crater statistics. Here the self‐secondary crater population o...

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Main Authors: Zhiyong Xiao, Nils C. Prieur, Stephanie C. Werner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-07-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069868
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author Zhiyong Xiao
Nils C. Prieur
Stephanie C. Werner
author_facet Zhiyong Xiao
Nils C. Prieur
Stephanie C. Werner
author_sort Zhiyong Xiao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Whether or not self‐secondaries dominate small crater populations on continuous ejecta deposits and floors of fresh impact craters has long been a controversy. This issue potentially affects the age determination technique using crater statistics. Here the self‐secondary crater population on the continuous ejecta deposits of the Hokusai crater on Mercury is unambiguously recognized. Superposition relationships show that this population was emplaced after both the ballistic sedimentation of excavation flows and the subsequent veneering of impact melt, but it predated the settlement and solidification of melt pools on the crater floor. Fragments that formed self‐secondaries were launched via impact spallation with large angles. Complex craters on the Moon, Mercury, and Mars probably all have formed self‐secondaries populations. Dating young craters using crater statistics on their continuous ejecta deposits can be misleading. Impact melt pools are less affected by self‐secondaries. Overprint by subsequent crater populations with time reduces the predominance of self‐secondaries.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-6f73fd8f5bbe465d9aec4c7f14abc6f12025-08-20T03:10:28ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-07-0143147424743210.1002/2016GL069868The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on MercuryZhiyong Xiao0Nils C. Prieur1Stephanie C. Werner2Planetary Science Institute, School of Earth Sciences China University of Geosciences Wuhan ChinaCentre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayCentre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayAbstract Whether or not self‐secondaries dominate small crater populations on continuous ejecta deposits and floors of fresh impact craters has long been a controversy. This issue potentially affects the age determination technique using crater statistics. Here the self‐secondary crater population on the continuous ejecta deposits of the Hokusai crater on Mercury is unambiguously recognized. Superposition relationships show that this population was emplaced after both the ballistic sedimentation of excavation flows and the subsequent veneering of impact melt, but it predated the settlement and solidification of melt pools on the crater floor. Fragments that formed self‐secondaries were launched via impact spallation with large angles. Complex craters on the Moon, Mercury, and Mars probably all have formed self‐secondaries populations. Dating young craters using crater statistics on their continuous ejecta deposits can be misleading. Impact melt pools are less affected by self‐secondaries. Overprint by subsequent crater populations with time reduces the predominance of self‐secondaries.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069868impact crateringMercurysecondary craters
spellingShingle Zhiyong Xiao
Nils C. Prieur
Stephanie C. Werner
The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury
Geophysical Research Letters
impact cratering
Mercury
secondary craters
title The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury
title_full The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury
title_fullStr The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury
title_full_unstemmed The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury
title_short The self‐secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury
title_sort self secondary crater population of the hokusai crater on mercury
topic impact cratering
Mercury
secondary craters
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069868
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