Impact craters

Definition

Impact craters are depressions on the surface of planets, moons, or other celestial bodies caused by the collision of a meteoroid, asteroid, or comet. These craters often have distinctive features such as raised rims and central peaks.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Impact craters can vary greatly in size from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers in diameter.
2. The formation of an impact crater involves three stages: contact and compression, excavation, and modification.
3. Larger impact events can cause significant geological changes and even contribute to mass extinctions.
4. Impact craters are used by scientists to determine the age and history of planetary surfaces.
5. Craters with central peaks indicate that the impact was so powerful that the surface rebounded after initial compression.

Review Questions

Related terms

Asteroid:

A small rocky body orbiting the sun, often contributing to crater formation upon collision with other celestial bodies

Meteoroid:

A small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the sun that becomes a meteor if it enters Earth's atmosphere

Ejecta Blanket:

The material that is expelled from an impact crater during its formation and deposited around it