ESA/DLR/FU Berlin
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This image provides a perspective view of the three craters on the ancient Martian plateau.
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Nationalgeographic.co.id – Although only about 120 impact craters have been identified on Earth, scientists estimate that on the Martian surface there are more than 43,000 impact craters more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) in diameter, and possibly more than a quarter million impact craters similar in size to Earth. Meteor Crater. Scientists believe that most of the craters on Mars were formed by meteorite impacts early in Martian history, but some may also have been from more recent impacts.
Impact crater mapping and counting is the most commonly used technique to gain detailed insight into the geological events and processes that shape the surfaces of terrestrial planets. Scientists from Curtin University in their new study have used a crater detection algorithm in their attempt to analyze the formation of more than 500 Mars crater the big one.
The algorithm they use automatically calculates the impact crater as seen from the high-resolution image. The scientists found that the frequency of collisions of asteroids that make up Martian craters has been consistent for more than 600 million years.
The results of this study have been published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters pada 07 Januari 2022 berjudul “Has the impact flux of small and large asteroids varied through time on Mars, the Earth and the Moon?”
Also Read: NASA’s Rogue Robot Finds Organic Molecules on Mars
Michael Ramsey
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The meteor crater, located in north-central Arizona, is one of the newest and best-preserved collision crater sites on Earth. The dry climate in the area and the lack of vegetation make the Meteor Crater an excellent analogue for the location of similar -sized collisions on Mars.
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Launch SciTechDaily, the lead scientist who authored the study, Dr. Anthony Lagain of Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said: “Although previous studies have shown a spike in the frequency of asteroid collisions, this study finds that they have not differed at all over millions of years.”
“Calculating impact craters on a planet’s surface is the only way to accurately date geological events, such as canyons, rivers, and volcanoes, and to predict when, and how large, future collisions will be,” he added.
“On Earth, the erosion of tectonic plates erased the history of our planet. Studying the planetary bodies of our solar system that still preserve their early geological history, such as Mars, helps us understand the evolution of our planet. Crater detection algorithms give us a thorough understanding of the formation of impact craters, including their size and quantity, as well as the timing and frequency of asteroid collisions that create them,” he explained.
“Previous research has shown that there is a spike in the timing and frequency of asteroid collisions due to debris production. When large objects collide with each other, they break apart into pieces of debris, which is thought to influence the creation of impact craters,” Lagain said. “Our study shows that it is unlikely that the debris will produce changes in the formation of impact craters on the planet’s surface.”
Also Read: Asteroids Near Earth Could Missing Moon Shards?
Curtin University
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One of 521 large craters on Mars that have been dated using the algorithm in this study.
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The age of this 40 km crater formation (see image above) has been estimated using the number of small craters that have accumulated in the vicinity since the impact. Some of these small craters are shown in the right panel and all of them have been detected using an algorithm. In total, more than 1.2 million craters were used to date the craters of Mars.
Meanwhile, member of the author and lead of the team that created the algorithm, Professor Gretchen Benedix, also has her own opinion, saying, “the algorithm can also be adapted to work on the surface of other planets, including on the Moon.”
“The formation of thousands of lunar craters can now be determined automatically, and their frequency of formation analyzed at higher resolutions to investigate their evolution. This will provide us with valuable information that could have practical applications in the future in nature conservation and agriculture, such as forest fire detection and land use classification,” said Benedix.
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