[meteorite-list] Look At All The Craters!

From: Meteorites USA <eric_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:28:04 -0700
Message-ID: <4BB62924.2080406_at_meteoritesusa.com>

Thought this was interesting.

MARS
http://hirise-pds.lpl.arizona.edu/PDS/EXTRAS/RDR/ESP/ORB_014300_014399/ESP_014394_2045/ESP_014394_2045_RED.abrowse.jpg

When considering the number of craters visible on every planet in our
solar system whose surface we can see, and which have hostile
atmospheres, to zero atmosphere, and also taking into consideration
terrestrial weathering, erosion, and other factors which erase traces of
meteorite impact craters, why are there still so many craters visible on
Mars?

When you look at the surfaces of the Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury, the
moons of the gas giants, and all asteroids especially Ceres, Vesta, Ida,
and others, I would think you couldn't go very far on Earth without
walking across or into the last remnants of a crater. I understand age
and weathering and why there's no meteoritic material left around these
most of the craters, but I guess my point is that given the sheer
abundance of craters on every celestial body whose surface we can see
would seem to me to be evidence of Earth's history as well.

Given that, is there technology or a mapping system that is capable of
cataloging all of Earth's impact craters? I'm not talking about the
really big ones we already know about, but the smaller hard to find
craters in forests, under desert sands, and ocean floors. Evidence still
exists of these craters... Would magnetic anomaly maps be helpful in
finding craters? Lidar, or Radar? Has anyone ever attempted to map all
the craters on Earth's surface minus the trees, oceans and man-made
structures?

I know this is a lot of questions... ;)

Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA
Received on Fri 02 Apr 2010 01:28:04 PM PDT