Approximately 2.3 million years ago — a mere speck in its total lifespan of 4.5 billion years — a colossal impactor had the misfortune of crashing into our neighbour, Mars. This monumental cataclysm left an enduring imprint on its surface, forever changing the face of the Red Planet.
At the heart of this celestial drama lies the Corinto crater, a titan spanning a massive 14 kilometers in diameter, nestled within the expansive plains of Elysium Planitia around Mars’ equator. Not only are impacts of such scale a rare sight on the Red Planet, scientists have a reason to believe the event might be the reason two billion acne-like scars inexplicably dot the Martian crust.
Using data meticulously collected by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a new study has suggested that all of these mini-craters might be all connected to the Corinto impact. After the first giant asteroid crashed into Mars, the resultant splintered-off fragments might have created these fascinating holes to the south of Corinto.
To delve deeper into the phenomenon, scientists classified these secondary craters into distinct "facies" based on their shape and distance from the main crater. Interestingly, they found that the closest holes were semi-circular, while the farther ones were long and narrow — all standard hallmarks that these holes were probably created by the fractured-off bits of the giant asteroid.
The size and shape of these craters offered a great amount of insight into the velocities and trajectories of not only the ejected debris, but also the main impactor. The study found that the direction towards which its fragments were flung suggests that the initial asteroid might have crashed into Mars from its North side, and at an oblique angle of 30-45°. The mystery rock was possibly made of some type of robust basaltic material — a type of rock made from the rapid cooling of lava.
Perhaps the most important implication of this discovery is the fact that it adds another feather to the Martian ancient water theory. Corinto’s floor, embedded a kilometre below the surrounding landscape, is littered with a labyrinth of fascinating pits and depressions. The authors believe that these might have formed when heat from the impact superheated the erstwhile water-ice that covered the Red Planet, completely vapourising all gas within them, and leaving gaping 200-metre-wide holes in their wake.
As we delve deeper into the mysteries of the Red Planet, the Corinto impact serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of cosmic collisions on planetary evolution.
The findings of this research are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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