Morphology of impact craters in swampy areas

Abstract

During an impact event, as the energy is transferred, a crater is formed whose characteristics depend not only on the amount of energy of the projectile, but also on the composition and nature of the surface materials. This research is based on the simulation of impacts on a selected material, saturated with water, with the aim of obtaining the general morphology of impact craters in marshy areas and the characterization of the ejecta dispersion. In order to establish a general template to support the identification of potential candidates for impact crater, in marshes or wetlands of the planet Earth, Mars and other rocky bodies rich in volatiles. A simulation device with a configuration that allows to vary the firing angle without varying the distance to the target was used. For the impact simulation, a 22-gauge air rifle was used to fire lead pellets at a rate of 304.8 m/s. A decrease in the diameter of the crater was observed as the angle of incidence was increased. The most notable features of the ejecta are the lobes attached to the main edge and the discrete segments that detach from the edge to form promontories. It was checked that the southern edge is always narrower than the northern edge. This feature together with the measurement of the major axis of the elliptical shape of the crater can be used as an indicator of the direction of entry of the impactor