Wegener (Martian crater)

For the crater on the Moon, see Wegener (lunar crater).

Crater on Mars

Wegener Crater

Topo map showing the location of Wegener Crater

Planet| Mars
Region| Argyre quadrangle
Coordinates| 64°36′S 4°00′W﻿ / ﻿64.6°S 4°W﻿ / -64.6; -4
Quadrangle| Argyre
Diameter| 68.51 km (42.57 mi)
Eponym| Alfred Wegener

Wegener is an impact crater in the Argyre quadrangle of Mars, located at 64.6°S latitude and 4.0°W longitude. It measures approximately 68.51 kilometres (42.57 mi) in diameter and was named after German geophysicist Alfred Wegener (1880–1930). The name was approved by IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature in 1973.[1]

## Description

[edit]

Wegener Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) Wegener Crater showing dunes defrosting, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Dark spots are places where frost has disappeared from the dark dunes. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Wegener Crater.

Dark spots appear on dunes in the higher latitudes of Mars. In these spots mineral grains may be covered with a thin film of water that may affect chemical weathering of minerals and may help possible Martian organisms to survive. Studies have shown that thin films of water could exist at times on the Martian surface at certain times and in certain locations. In places, thin layers of liquid water could be present for 38 sols (Martian days) in the warmer periods of the day.[2][3] Dark spots appear on dunes in the higher latitudes of Mars.

Sometimes geysers form near the spots. They have two main features (dark dune spots and spider channels) that appear at the beginning of the Martian spring on dune fields covered with carbon dioxide (CO2 or 'dry ice'), mainly at the ridges and slopes of the dunes; by the beginning of winter, they disappear. Dark spots' shape is generally round, on the slopes it is usually elongated.[4][5]

With the stronger sunshine of spring in certain regions, carbon dioxide gas jets shoot dark dust in the air. This dark dust will increase the absorption of light and cause the temperature to rise to where water can exist for short periods.[6]

## See also

[edit]

* List of craters on Mars

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Wegener". usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
2. ^ Zent, A.P., Haberle, R.M., Howard, C.H., Jakosky, B.M., 1993. "A coupled subsurface boundary layer model of water on Mars". J. Geophys. Res. 98, 3319–3337.
3. ^ Mohlmann, D., 2004. "Water in the upper martian surface at mid- and low-latitudes: Presence, state, and consequences". Icarus 168, 318–323.
4. ^ Horváth, A.; Kereszturi, Á.; Bérczi, Sz.; et al. (2005). "Annual change of Martian DDS-seepages" (PDF). Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI: 1128. Bibcode:2005LPI....36.1128H. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
5. ^ Gánti, Tibor; András Horváth; Szaniszló Bérczi; Albert Gesztesi; Eörs Szathmáry (12–16 March 2001). Probable Evidences of Recent Biological Activity on Mars: Appearance and Growing of Dark Dune Spots in the South Polar Region (PDF). 32nd Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Houston, Texas. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
6. ^ Kereszturi, A., E. Rivera-Valentin. 2012. "Locations of thin liquid water layers on present-day Mars". Icarus: 221, 289–295.

* v
* t
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Geography and geology of Mars

Cartography

| Regions|

* Abalos Undae
* Aspledon Undae
* Arabia Terra
* Cerberus
* Cydonia
* Eridania Lake
* Hyperboreae Undae
* Ogygis Undae
* Olympia Undae
* Planum Australe
* Planum Boreum
* Quadrangles
* Sinus Meridiani
* Siton Undae
* Tempe Terra
* Terra Cimmeria
* Terra Sabaea
* Tharsis
* Vastitas Borealis

|

Quadrangles|

* Aeolis
* Amazonis
* Amenthes
* Arabia
* Arcadia
* Argyre
* Casius
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* Coprates
* Diacria
* Elysium
* Eridania
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* Phaethontis
* Phoenicis Lacus
* Sinus Sabaeus
* Syrtis Major
* Tharsis
* Thaumasia

Geology

| Surface
features|

* Brain terrain
* Carbonates
* Chaos terrain
* Color
* Composition
* Concentric crater fill
* Dark slope streak
* Dichotomy
* Dune fields
* Hagal
* Nili Patera
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* Tholus
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* Valley networks
* Water
* discovery chronology
* Yardangs

|

History|

* Amazonian
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* Observation history
* Canals (list)
* Classical albedo features

Rocks
observed|

* Curiosity rover
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* Coronation
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* Hottah
* Jake Matijevic
* Link
* Rocknest
* Rocknest 3
* Tintina
* Opportunity rover
* Bounce
* El Capitan
* Last Chance
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* Barnacle Bill
* Yogi
* Spirit rover
* Adirondack
* Home Plate
* Mimi
* Pot of Gold
* Viking
* Big Joe
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* Face
* Monolith

* Meteorites found on Mars
* Block Island
* Heat Shield
* Mackinac Island
* Meridiani Planum
* Oileán Ruaidh
* Shelter Island

* Martian meteorites found on Earth
* Balsaltic Breccia
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* Nakhlites
* Shergottites
* Other
* List

Topography

| Mountains,
volcanoes

(list by height)

* Acidalia Colles
* Alba Mons
* Anseris Mons
* Apollinaris Mons
* Ariadnes Colles
* Astapus Colles
* Ausonia Montes
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* Charitum Montes
* Echus Montes
* Elysium
* Elysium Mons
* Albor Tholus
* Hecates Tholus
* Erebus Montes
* Galaxius Mons
* Hadriacus Mons
* Hellas Montes
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* Mount Sharp
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* Olympus Mons
* Phlegra Montes
* Syrtis Major Planum
* Tartarus Colles
* Tartarus Montes
* Tharsis Montes
* Ascraeus
* Pavonis
* Arsia
* Tharsis Tholus
* Tyrrhenus Mons
* Ulysses Tholus
* Uranius group
* Uranius Mons
* Ceraunius Tholus
* Uranius Tholus

|

Plains,
plateaus|

* Acidalia Planitia
* Aeolis Palus
* Amazonis Planitia
* Arcadia Planitia
* Argentea Planum
* Argyre Planitia
* Chryse Planitia
* Daedalia Planum
* Elysium Planitia
* Eridania Planitia
* Hellas Planitia
* Hesperia Planum
* Icaria Planum
* Isidis Planitia
* Lunae Planum
* Meridiani Planum
* Oxia Planum
* Planum Australe
* Planum Boreum
* Syria Planum
* Syrtis Major Planum
* Utopia Planitia
* Eden Patera
* Orcus Patera
* Peneus Patera
* Pityusa Patera
* Siloe Patera

Canyons,
valleys|

* Aram Chaos
* Arsia Chasmata
* Aromatum Chaos
* Atlantis Chaos
* Aureum Chaos
* Candor Chasma
* Chasma Boreale
* Coprates Chasma
* Echus Chasma
* Eos Chaos
* Eos Chasma
* Galaxias Chaos
* Ganges Chasma
* Gorgonum Chaos
* Hebes Chasma
* Hydaspis Chaos
* Hydraotes Chaos
* Iani Chaos
* Ister Chaos
* Ius Chasma
* Juventae Chasma
* Melas Chasma
* Ophir Chasma
* Tithonium Chasma

* List of valles
* Apsus
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* Arnus
* Asopus
* Athabasca
* Auqakuh
* Bahram
* Buvinda
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* Frento
* Granicus
* Green Valley
* Harmakhis
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* Hrad
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* Hypanis
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* Labou
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* Mamers
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* Marineris
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* Patapsco
* Peace
* Rahway
* Ravi
* Reull
* Sabis
* Sabrina
* Samara
* Scamander
* Shalbatana
* Simud
* Stura
* Tader
* Tinia
* Tinjar
* Tiu
* Tyras
* Uzboi
* ULM
* Vedra
* Verde
* Warrego

Fossae, mensae,
rupes, labyrinthi|

* Amenthes Fossae
* Ceraunius Fossae
* Cerberus Fossae
* Coloe Fossae
* Cyane Fossae
* Elysium Fossae
* Hephaestus Fossae
* Icaria Fossae
* Labeatis Fossae
* Mangala Fossa
* Mareotis Fossae
* Medusae Fossae
* Memnonia Fossae
* Nili Fossae
* Olympica Fossae
* Oti Fossae
* Sirenum Fossae
* Tantalus Fossae
* Tempe Fossae
* Tithonium Fossae
* Tractus Fossae
* Ulysses Fossae
* Aeolis Mensae
* Ausonia Mensa
* Capri Mensa
* Cydonia Mensae
* Deuteronilus Mensae
* Ganges Mensa
* Nilosyrtis Mensae
* Protonilus Mensae
* Sacra Mensa
* Claritas Rupes
* Nilokeras Scopulus
* Olympus Rupes
* Rupes Tenuis
* Angustus Labyrinthus
* Noctis Labyrinthus

Catenae,
craters|

* Artynia Catena
* Tithoniae Catenae
* Tractus Catena
* Adams
* Agassiz
* Airy
* Airy-0
* Aniak
* Antoniadi
* Arandas
* Argo
* Arkhangelsky
* Arrhenius
* Asimov
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* Beagle
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* Bernard
* Bianchini
* Boeddicker
* Bok
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* Bonestell
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* Brashear
* Briault
* Burroughs
* Burton
* Campbell
* Canso
* Cassini
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* Cerulli
* Chafe
* Chapais
* Chincoteague
* Chryse Alien
* Clark
* Coblentz
* Columbus
* Copernicus
* Corby
* Crewe
* Crivitz
* Crommelin
* Cruls
* Curie
* Da Vinci
* Danielson
* Darwin
* Davies
* Dawes
* Dejnev
* Denning
* Dilly
* Dinorwic
* Douglass
* Dromore
* Du Martheray
* Eagle (Acidalia Planitia)
* Eagle (Meridiani Planum)
* Eberswalde
* Eddie
* Ejriksson
* Emma Dean
* Endeavour
* Matijevic Hill
* Endurance
* Erebus
* Escalante
* Eudoxus
* Fenagh
* Fesenkov
* Firsoff
* Flammarion
* Flaugergues
* Focas
* Fontana
* Fournier
* Fram
* Freedom
* Galdakao
* Gale
* Galle
* Garni
* Gasa
* Gilbert
* Gill
* Gledhill
* Gold
* Graff
* Green
* Grindavik
* Gusev
* Apollo 1 Hills
* Chaffee
* Grissom
* White
* Columbia Hills
* Husband
* McCool
* Sleepy Hollow
* Hadley
* Haldane
* Hale
* Halley
* Hargraves
* Hartwig
* Heaviside
* Heimdal
* Heinlein
* Helmholtz
* Henry
* Herschel
* Hipparchus
* Holden
* Holmes
* Hooke
* Huggins
* Hussey
* Hutton
* Huxley
* Huygens
* Iazu
* Ibragimov
* Inuvik
* Janssen
* Jarry-Desloges
* Jeans
* Jezero
* Jezža
* Joly
* Jones
* Kaiser
* Keeler
* Kepler
* Kinkora
* Kipini
* Knobel
* Koga
* Korolev
* Kufra
* Kuiper
* Kunowsky
* Lambert
* Lamont
* Lampland
* Lassell
* Lau
* Le Verrier
* Li Fan
* Liais
* Lipik
* Liu Hsin
* Llanesco
* Lockyer
* Lod
* Lohse
* Lomonosov
* Louth
* Lowell
* Lyell
* Lyot
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* Maggini
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* McLaughlin
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* Miyamoto
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* Montevallo
* Moreux
* Müller
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* Onon
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* Palana
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* Smith
* South
* Spallanzani
* Srīpur
* Steno
* Stokes
* Stoney
* Suess
* Suzhi
* Tarsus
* Taytay
* Teisserenc de Bort
* Terby
* Thila
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* Timbuktu
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* Von Kármán
* Vostok
* Wallace
* Wegener
* Weinbaum
* Wells
* Williams
* Winslow
* Wirtz
* Wislicenus
* Wright
* Yuty
* Zumba
* Zunil

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