"New Perspectives on Old Impacts: The Crustal Structure of Moon and Mars"
Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography and gravity
models from
5 years of Mars Global Surveyor tracking provide a new window into the
structure of the martian crust and upper mantle. Similar results from
the
Clementine and Lunar Prospector spacecraft, as well as the forthcoming
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, will sharpen our view of the lunar crust
and interior. Giant impacts shaped the early geology of both Mars and
Moon,
together with major spatial variations in melting, producing the
well-known
but poorly understood macons. We look at the current state of
large impact basins and some surprising mechanisms for their origin