Cratering on ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution

H. Hiesinger; S. Marchi; N. Schmedemann; P. Schenk; J. H. Pasckert; A. Neesemann; D. P. O'Brien; T. Kneissl; A. I. Ermakov; R. R. Fu; M. T. Bland; A. Nathues; T. Platz; David Williams; R. Jaumann; J. C. Castillo-Rogez; O. Ruesch; B. Schmidt; R. S. Park; F. Preusker; D. L. Buczkowski; C. T. Russell; C. A. Raymond

doi:10.1126/science.aaf4759

Cratering on ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution

H. Hiesinger, S. Marchi, N. Schmedemann, P. Schenk, J. H. Pasckert, A. Neesemann, D. P. O'Brien, T. Kneissl, A. I. Ermakov, R. R. Fu, M. T. Bland, A. Nathues, T. Platz, David Williams, R. Jaumann, J. C. Castillo-Rogez, O. Ruesch, B. Schmidt, R. S. Park, F. PreuskerD. L. Buczkowski, C. T. Russell, C. A. Raymond

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

120 Scopus citations

Abstract

Thermochemical models have predicted that Ceres, is to some extent, differentiated and should have an icy crust with few or no impact craters. We present observations by the Dawn spacecraft that reveal a heavily cratered surface, a heterogeneous crater distribution, and an apparent absence of large craters. The morphology of some impact craters is consistent with ice in the subsurface, which might have favored relaxation, yet large unrelaxed craters are also present. Numerous craters exhibit polygonal shapes, terraces, flowlike features, slumping, smooth deposits, and bright spots. Crater morphology and simple-to-complex crater transition diameters indicate that the crust of Ceres is neither purely icy nor rocky. By dating a smooth region associated with the Kerwan crater, we determined absolute model ages (AMAs) of 550 million and 720 million years, depending on the applied chronology model.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	aaf4759
Journal	Science
Volume	353
Issue number	6303
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf4759
State	Published - Sep 2 2016

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Hiesinger, H., Marchi, S., Schmedemann, N., Schenk, P., Pasckert, J. H., Neesemann, A., O'Brien, D. P., Kneissl, T., Ermakov, A. I., Fu, R. R., Bland, M. T., Nathues, A., Platz, T., Williams, D., Jaumann, R., Castillo-Rogez, J. C., Ruesch, O., Schmidt, B., Park, R. S., ... Raymond, C. A. (2016). Cratering on ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution. Science, 353(6303), Article aaf4759. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf4759

Hiesinger, H, Marchi, S, Schmedemann, N, Schenk, P, Pasckert, JH, Neesemann, A, O'Brien, DP, Kneissl, T, Ermakov, AI, Fu, RR, Bland, MT, Nathues, A, Platz, T, Williams, D, Jaumann, R, Castillo-Rogez, JC, Ruesch, O, Schmidt, B, Park, RS, Preusker, F, Buczkowski, DL, Russell, CT & Raymond, CA 2016, 'Cratering on ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution', Science, vol. 353, no. 6303, aaf4759. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf4759

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abstract = "Thermochemical models have predicted that Ceres, is to some extent, differentiated and should have an icy crust with few or no impact craters. We present observations by the Dawn spacecraft that reveal a heavily cratered surface, a heterogeneous crater distribution, and an apparent absence of large craters. The morphology of some impact craters is consistent with ice in the subsurface, which might have favored relaxation, yet large unrelaxed craters are also present. Numerous craters exhibit polygonal shapes, terraces, flowlike features, slumping, smooth deposits, and bright spots. Crater morphology and simple-to-complex crater transition diameters indicate that the crust of Ceres is neither purely icy nor rocky. By dating a smooth region associated with the Kerwan crater, we determined absolute model ages (AMAs) of 550 million and 720 million years, depending on the applied chronology model.",

author = "H. Hiesinger and S. Marchi and N. Schmedemann and P. Schenk and Pasckert, {J. H.} and A. Neesemann and O'Brien, {D. P.} and T. Kneissl and Ermakov, {A. I.} and Fu, {R. R.} and Bland, {M. T.} and A. Nathues and T. Platz and David Williams and R. Jaumann and Castillo-Rogez, {J. C.} and O. Ruesch and B. Schmidt and Park, {R. S.} and F. Preusker and Buczkowski, {D. L.} and Russell, {C. T.} and Raymond, {C. A.}",

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T2 - Implications for its crust and evolution

AU - Hiesinger, H.

AU - Marchi, S.

AU - Schmedemann, N.

AU - Schenk, P.

AU - Pasckert, J. H.

AU - Neesemann, A.

AU - O'Brien, D. P.

AU - Kneissl, T.

AU - Ermakov, A. I.

AU - Fu, R. R.

AU - Bland, M. T.

AU - Nathues, A.

AU - Platz, T.

AU - Williams, David

AU - Jaumann, R.

AU - Castillo-Rogez, J. C.

AU - Ruesch, O.

AU - Schmidt, B.

AU - Park, R. S.

AU - Preusker, F.

AU - Buczkowski, D. L.

AU - Russell, C. T.

AU - Raymond, C. A.

PY - 2016/9/2

Y1 - 2016/9/2

N2 - Thermochemical models have predicted that Ceres, is to some extent, differentiated and should have an icy crust with few or no impact craters. We present observations by the Dawn spacecraft that reveal a heavily cratered surface, a heterogeneous crater distribution, and an apparent absence of large craters. The morphology of some impact craters is consistent with ice in the subsurface, which might have favored relaxation, yet large unrelaxed craters are also present. Numerous craters exhibit polygonal shapes, terraces, flowlike features, slumping, smooth deposits, and bright spots. Crater morphology and simple-to-complex crater transition diameters indicate that the crust of Ceres is neither purely icy nor rocky. By dating a smooth region associated with the Kerwan crater, we determined absolute model ages (AMAs) of 550 million and 720 million years, depending on the applied chronology model.

AB - Thermochemical models have predicted that Ceres, is to some extent, differentiated and should have an icy crust with few or no impact craters. We present observations by the Dawn spacecraft that reveal a heavily cratered surface, a heterogeneous crater distribution, and an apparent absence of large craters. The morphology of some impact craters is consistent with ice in the subsurface, which might have favored relaxation, yet large unrelaxed craters are also present. Numerous craters exhibit polygonal shapes, terraces, flowlike features, slumping, smooth deposits, and bright spots. Crater morphology and simple-to-complex crater transition diameters indicate that the crust of Ceres is neither purely icy nor rocky. By dating a smooth region associated with the Kerwan crater, we determined absolute model ages (AMAs) of 550 million and 720 million years, depending on the applied chronology model.

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Cratering on ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution

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