HiRISE: Erosion & deposition in Schaeberle Crater

ESP_042527_1555Schaeberle Crater is a large, heavily-infilled crater with many interesting features. This image shows a window into the crater fill deposit, showcasing eroding bedrock and aeolian landforms.

This pit is located near the geometric center of our image, making it a central pit crater. Central pit craters are thought to form from impact melt draining through subsurface cracks in the deepest part of the crater shortly following impact.

A closeup image shows light-toned bedrock and a small cliff that appears to be weathering away. Below the cliff there are several different types of aeolian features, including ripples and transverse aeolian ridges (TAR). The sand that forms the small, bluish ripples may be weathering out of the cliff face, in contrast to the larger, light-toned TAR which are thought to be currently inactive.

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