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The distribution of olivine in the Crater Copernicus
Author(s) -
Lucey Paul G.,
Hawke B. Ray,
Horton Keith
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/91gl02538
Subject(s) - copernicus , impact crater , ejecta , geology , fault scarp , olivine , mineralogy , astrobiology , seismology , physics , astrophysics , supernova , fault (geology)
We employed multispectral imaging in the visible and near‐IR at four wavelengths (0.73, 0.96, 1.45, and 1.99µm) of Copernicus crater in order to map the distribution of olivine‐rich, pyroxene‐poor material known previously to occur in the central peak complex. We identified three additional portions of the crater to exhibit spectral characteristics similar to those of the central peaks strongly suggesting the presence of material similar to that exposed in the central peaks. These areas are a scarp forming a portion of the northern rim of Copernicus, and two slump blocks in the north wall which may have been derived from the same portion of the ejecta now exposed in the rim scarp. These occurrences decrease the minimum allowable depth for this unusual material in the Copernicus target site though still represent some of the deepest material exposed by Copernicus.