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Formation
of an impact crater
•Crater
caused by the explosion
–Impactor
is melted, perhaps vaporized
by the kinetic energy released
by the kinetic energy released
•Temporary
“transient” crater is round
•Gravity
causes walls to slump inward forming “terraces”
•Movement
of material inward from all sides (trying to fill in the hole) may push up central peak in the middle.
•Final
crater is typically ~10 times
the size of the impactor
the size of the impactor
From our text: Horizons by Seeds