Mojave is a 58 km diameter impact crater in the Oxia Palus quadrangle of Mars , located at 7.5° N and 33.0° W. It was named after the town of Mojave in southern California , U.S.
6-660: The crater is located within the Martian Xanthe Terra region. Mojave has alluvial fans that look remarkably similar to landforms in the Mojave Desert in the American southwest. Fans inside and around the outsides of the crater are closely similar to Earth's alluvial fans. As on Earth, the largest rocks are near the mouths of the fans. Because the channels start at ridge tops, it is believed they were formed by heavy downpours. Researchers have suggested that
12-413: A great deal of material; much of it is believed to be ice deposited when the climate was different. Mojave is a rayed crater , another indication of its youth, and is the largest such crater on Mars. Based on crater counts of its ejecta blanket , it is thought to be about 3 million years old. It is believed to be the most recent crater of its size on Mars, and has been identified as the probable source of
18-473: Is approximately 2,600 meters (1.63 miles). Based on its ratio of depth to diameter, researchers believe it is very young. It is not old enough to have accumulated much material and start to fill. Its relatively undegraded state helps scientists model impact processes on Mars. If one measures the diameter of a crater, the original depth can be estimated with various ratios. Because of this relationship, researchers have found that many Martian craters contain
24-931: The Coprates quadrangle , the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle , and the Oxia Palus quadrangle . Ravi Vallis , Aromatum Chaos , Ophir, Ganges Chasma , Nanedi Valles , Shalbatana Vallis , Orson Welles Crater , Mutch Crater, and Da Vinci Crater are some major features in Xanthe Terra. Images from Mars Express, Mars Global Surveyor, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed ancient river valleys and deltas. The deltas show many thin layers just as deltas on Earth. Scientists speculate that features in Xanthe Terra show evidence of precipitation on early Mars. This article about
30-600: The shergottite meteorites collected on Earth. However, the latter hypothesis is controversial. Xanthe Terra Xanthe Terra is a large area on Mars , centered just north of the Martian equator. Its coordinates are 3°N 312°E / 3°N 312°E / 3; 312 and its diameter is 1867.65 km. Its name means "golden-yellow land." It is in the Lunae Palus quadrangle ,
36-408: The rain may have been initiated by impacts. Some parts of the crater display a high concentration of closely spaced pits. Pits show little or no evidence of rims or ejecta. The pits are so close to each other that adjacent pits often share the same wall. It is believed that the pits form from steam produced when the heat from the impact process interacts with ice in the ground. The depth of Mojave
#562437