Central peaks in lunar craters - Morphology and morphometry

Abstract

Fresh lunar craters with diameters from 17 to 175 km are found to display a linear relationship between the central peak morphology and morphometry and such critical crater parameters as rim crest diameter, floor diameter, and substrate. Some other previously established linear relationships have been cited as evidence that floor diameter, peak height, and peak ring diameter are related to the kinetic energy of impact. The two new relations derived in the present work would therefore indicate that the central peaks, too, are related to the kinetic energy of impact, and probably begin to form early in the cratering event as suggested by Milton and Roddy (1972) and Head (1978). There seems to be no obvious reason to expect such linear relationships between central peak diameter and rim crest and floor diameter if the peaks are formed by gravity induced failure of the transient cavity, as suggested by Dence et al. (1968).