Moreux (crater)

Moreux Crater
Map of Ismenius Lacus quadrangle which is located just north of Arabia, a large bright area of Mars. It contains large amounts of ice in glaciers that surround hills.
Planet	Mars
Coordinates	42°06′N 315°36′W / 42.1°N 315.6°W / 42.1; -315.6Coordinates: 42°06′N 315°36′W / 42.1°N 315.6°W / 42.1; -315.6
Diameter	138 km
Eponym	Theophile Moreux, a French astronomer and meteorologist (1867-1954)

Moreux Crater is a crater in the Ismenius Lacus quadrangle on Mars with a diameter of 138 km. It is located at 42.1° north latitude and 315.6° west longitude It was named after Theophile Moreux, a French astronomer and meteorologist (1867–1954).

Glaciers

Moreux Crater's appearance has been shaped by the action of glaciers. Glaciers modified large areas of the surface of Mars. Many places are believed to still contain enormous amounts of water ice that was associated with glaciers.^[1][2] Glaciers have shaped much of the fretted terrain. It would be difficult to take a hike on the fretted terrain because the surface is folded, pitted, and often covered with linear striations. The striations show the direction of movement. Much of this rough texture is due to sublimation of buried ice. When the ice transitions directly into a gas it leaves behind an empty space. Overlying material then collapses into the void.^[3] Glaciers are not pure ice; they contain dirt and rocks. At times, they will dump their load of materials into ridges. Such ridges are called moraines. Some places on Mars have groups of ridges that are twisted around; this may have been due to more movement after the ridges were put into place. Sometimes chunks of ice fall from the glacier and get buried in the land surface. When they melt and more or less round hole remains.^[4] On Earth we call these features kettles or kettle holes. Mendon Ponds Park in upstate NY has preserved several of these kettles. The picture from HiRISE below shows possible kettles in Moreux Crater.

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  Moreux Crater moraines and kettle holes, as seen by HIRISE.

References

1. ^ ISBN 0-8165-1257-4
2. ^ http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMBS5V681F_0.html
3. ^ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_009719_2230
4. ^ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_006278_2225