Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Ages of geological units of planetary bodies are determined from impact crater counts on their surface. These ages are model-dependent, and several models largely used in the community assume a constant production function and a constant cratering rate over the last 3 Ga. We have...

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Main Authors: Lagain, Anthony, Bouley, S., Baratoux, D., Costard, F., Wieczorek, M.
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2019
Online Access:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0032063319301904
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/76440
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author Lagain, Anthony
Bouley, S.
Baratoux, D.
Costard, F.
Wieczorek, M.
author_facet Lagain, Anthony
Bouley, S.
Baratoux, D.
Costard, F.
Wieczorek, M.
author_sort Lagain, Anthony
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2019 Elsevier Ltd Ages of geological units of planetary bodies are determined from impact crater counts on their surface. These ages are model-dependent, and several models largely used in the community assume a constant production function and a constant cratering rate over the last 3 Ga. We have mapped the population of small impact craters (>200 m in diameter) formed over a population of large impact craters (>5 km in diameter) with layered ejecta on Acidalia Planitia, Mars. We have deduced the age of each large impact crater under the assumption of a constant impact rate and constant production function. The impact rate inferred from this set of ages is, however, not constant and show a significant increasing during the last ~1 Ga compared to chronology models commonly used. We interpret this inconsistency as an evidence for temporal variations in the size-frequency distribution (SFD) of impactors in the main belt, consistent with recent studies argued for a late increasing of the large impactor flux on Earth and the Moon.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-764402023-04-26T05:28:26Z Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars Lagain, Anthony Bouley, S. Baratoux, D. Costard, F. Wieczorek, M. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd Ages of geological units of planetary bodies are determined from impact crater counts on their surface. These ages are model-dependent, and several models largely used in the community assume a constant production function and a constant cratering rate over the last 3 Ga. We have mapped the population of small impact craters (>200 m in diameter) formed over a population of large impact craters (>5 km in diameter) with layered ejecta on Acidalia Planitia, Mars. We have deduced the age of each large impact crater under the assumption of a constant impact rate and constant production function. The impact rate inferred from this set of ages is, however, not constant and show a significant increasing during the last ~1 Ga compared to chronology models commonly used. We interpret this inconsistency as an evidence for temporal variations in the size-frequency distribution (SFD) of impactors in the main belt, consistent with recent studies argued for a late increasing of the large impactor flux on Earth and the Moon. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/76440 10.1016/j.pss.2019.104755 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0032063319301904 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT170100024 unknown
spellingShingle Lagain, Anthony
Bouley, S.
Baratoux, D.
Costard, F.
Wieczorek, M.
Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars
title Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars
title_full Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars
title_fullStr Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars
title_full_unstemmed Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars
title_short Impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on Mars
title_sort impact cratering rate consistency test from ages of layered ejecta on mars
url https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0032063319301904
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0032063319301904
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/76440