Three Named Craters and One Channel Overlap Gusev Crater's Rim on Mars

Summary: Three named craters and one channel overlap Gusev Crater's rim in the southeastern quadrant of the Martian southern hemisphere's Aeolis quadrangle.

Large ancient river channel Ma'adim Vallis (top left) flows over rim crater New Plymouth (top center at channel's west bank) into interior of Gusev Crater; topography data obtained by Mars Global Surveyor robotic space probe has been draped over by 2001 Mars Odyssey robotic spacecraft orbiter camera system's mosaic of daytime infrared images of Gusev Crater; mosaic area's southward-looking simulated view, covering approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) on each side, is centered near minus 14 degrees south latitude, 175 degrees east longitude; image credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University; Thursday, March 13, 2003: via NASA Science Mars Exploration

Downe, New Plymouth and Zutphen craters and Ma'adim Vallis occur as three named craters and one named channel that distinctively overlap Gusev Crater's rim in the southeastern quadrant of the Martian southern hemisphere's Aeolis quadrangle.

Gusev Crater is a large impact crater occupying the Aeolis quadrangle in the Martian southern hemisphere. The Aeolis quadrangle is designated as Mars Chart 23 (MC-23) by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in the agency's mapping of the Martian surface. Thirty quadrangles serve as pole-to-pole cartographic representations of Martian topography.

Gusev Crater is centered at minus 14.53 degrees south latitude, 175.52 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The impact crater attains its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 13.20 degrees south and minus 15.86 degrees south, respectively. It achieves its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 176.91 degrees east and 174.15 degrees east, respectively. Gusev Crater's diameter spans 158.12 kilometers.

Gusev Crater has experienced significant morphological modification since its impactful formation, as described by planetary geologists David A. Crown, James W. Rice, Steven W. Ruff and Stephen P. Scheidt and senior research associate Frank C. Chuang in "Geologic Mapping of Gusev Crater, Mars: Gusev Rim and Floor Characteristics," presented at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and U.S. Geological Survey's 2021 Annual Meeting of Planetary Geologic Mappers (PGM), which was held virtually Monday, June 14, to Tuesday, June 15. Small impact craters have made extensive modifications to the southern and western portions of Gusev Crater's rim.

Also, the northern extent of outflow channel Ma'adim Vallis breached the impact crater's southern rim at the point already modified by Downs and New Plymouth craters and extended onto Gusev Crater's interior floor (page ROV 19-6), as delineated by planetary geologist Keith S. Milam and seven co-authors in "THEMIS characterization of the MER Gusev crater landing site," published in the December 2003 issue of Journal of Geophysical Research Planets JGR Planets. Additionally, large terrace deposits uniquely characterize Gusev Crater's eastern-southeastern rim (David A. Crown et al., "Geologic Mappling of Gusev Crater, Mars: Gusev Rim and Floor Characteristics").

Zutphen Crater occupies the most northwesterly position of the three named craters that have modified Gusev Crater's rim. A breach in the northwestern rim near Zutphen Crater marks the northern reach of a smooth plains unit, speckled with a moderate density of small craters, that has spread across the floor from the terminus of outflow channel Ma'adim Vallis (Keith S. Milam, et al., page ROV 19-6).

Zutphen Crater is centered at minus 13.85 degrees south latitude, 174.32 degrees east longitude. It limits its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 13.53 degrees south and minus 14.18 degrees south, respectively. It confines its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to 174.65 degreees east and 173.99 degrees east, respectively. Zutphen Crater has a diameter of 38.29 kilometers.

Downe and New Plymouth craters are positioned to the distant southeast of Zutphen Crater. Downe's position of extending southwestward from southwestern New Plymouth qualifies it as the most southwesterly of Gusev Crater's three named rim craters.

Downe Crater is centered at minus 15.98 degrees south latitude, 175.78 degrees east longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes are noted as minus 15.74 degrees south and minus 16.22 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are listed as 176.03 degrees east and 175.54 degrees east, respectively. Downe Crater's diameter measures 28.13 kilometers.

North Plymouth Crater is centered at minus 15.78 degrees south latitude, 175.87 degrees east longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes are obtained at minus 15.51 degrees south and minus 16.04 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are secured at 176.15 degrees east and 175.60 degrees east, respectively. North Plymouth Crater has a diameter of 31.54 kilometers.

Ma'adim Vallis distinctively overlies Downe and North Plymouth craters at Gusev Crater's south-southeastern rim. The outflow channel traversed the two rim craters in its terminal journey northward to Gusev Crater's southern interior floor.

Ma'adim Vallis is centered at minus 21.98 degrees south latitude, 177.50 degrees east longitude. The channel invokes northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 15.61 degrees south and minus 28.15 degrees south. It affirms its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 178.38 degrees east and 175.65 degrees east, respectively. Ma'adim Vallis has a diameter, or length, of 913.11 kilometers.

The International Astronomical Union approved Downe, New Plymouth and Zutphen in 2003 as names for three craters on Gusev Crater's rim. The IAU's XXV (25th) General Assembly was held in 2003 from Saturday, July 12, to Saturday, July 26, in Sydney, Australia.

The craters' names observed the convention of naming "Small craters (approximately 50 km and smaller)" on Mars and Martian satellites after "Small towns and villages of the world with populations of approximately 100,000 or less." Downe, New Plymouth and Zutphen honor towns in England, the U.S. state of Idaho and the Netherlands, respectively. Downe in located in the London Borough of Bromley in South East England. New Plymouth is sited in Payette County, southwestern Idaho, in the northwestern United States. Zutphen is a city and municipality in Gelderland province, also known as Guelders, in the central-east Netherlands.

Detail from Aeolis, MC-23, shows Gusev Crater with Downe, New Plymouth and Zutphen as three named rim craters and northward-flowing Ma'adim Vallis traversing overlapped Downe and New Plymouth craters on Gusev's southern rim for dobouchement to Gusev's interior floor; Base image: THEMIS IR Day mosaic by USGS, ASU Margin image: THEMIS IR Global Mosac v11.6, ASU Colorized Topography: MOLA Elevation Model, GSFC Date of Last Nomenclature Update: Nov. 9, 2022: via IAU (International Astronomical Union) and USGS ASC (U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center)

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Large ancient river channel Ma'adim Vallis (top left) flows over rim crater New Plymouth (top center at channel's west bank) into interior of Gusev Crater; topography data obtained by Mars Global Surveyor robotic space probe has been draped over by 2001 Mars Odyssey robotic spacecraft orbiter camera system's mosaic of daytime infrared images of Gusev Crater; mosaic area's southward-looking simulated view, covering approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) on each side, is centered near minus 14 degrees south latitude, 175 degrees east longitude; image credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University; Thursday, March 13, 2003: via NASA Science Mars Exploration @ https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/7647/gusev-crater/

Detail from Aeolis, MC-23, shows Gusev Crater with Downe, New Plymouth and Zutphen as three named rim craters and northward-flowing Ma'adim Vallis traversing overlapped Downe and New Plymouth craters on Gusev's southern rim for dobouchement to Gusev's interior floor; Base image: THEMIS IR Day mosaic by USGS, ASU Margin image: THEMIS IR Global Mosac v11.6, ASU Colorized Topography: MOLA Elevation Model, GSFC Date of Last Nomenclature Update: Nov. 9, 2022: via IAU (International Astronomical Union) and USGS ASC (U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center) @ https://asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mc23_2014.pdf

For further information:

The European Space Agency. "Craters, lava flows and tectonic features near Ma'adim Vallis." The European Space Agency > Science & Exploration. July 24, 2009.
Available via ESA (European Space Agency) @ https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Craters_lava_flows_and_tectonic_features_near_Ma_adim_Vallis

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Downe.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:58 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/1634

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Gusev.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:58 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/Gusev

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Ma'adim Vallis.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Oct. 1, 2006 3:30 p.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3772

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “New Plymouth.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:58 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4231

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Small craters (approximately 50 km and smaller). Small towns and villages of the world with populations of approximately 100,000 or less. This category is simply a large source of crater names. No commemoration of specific towns or villages is intended.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Documentation > Surface Feature Categories > Categories (Themes) for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites > Mars and Martian Satellites: Mars.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Categories

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Zutphen.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:59 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6768

Leverington, David W. "Incision of Ma’adim Vallis (Mars) by dry volcanic megafloods effused from multiple highland sources." Planetary and Space Science, vol. 1919 (Oct. 15, 2020): 105021.
Available via ScienceDirect @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0032063320300064

Marriner, Derdriu. "Gusev Crater in Southern Mars Honors Russian Astronomer Matvey Gusev." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/04/gusev-crater-in-southern-mars-honors.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Martian Crater Galdakao Nudges Jagged Northeastern Rim of Gusev Crater." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/04/martian-crater-galdakao-nudges-jagged.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Three Named Craters Distinguish Central Floor in Gusev Crater on Mars." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/04/three-named-craters-distinguish-central.html

Milam, Keith A.; Karen R. Stockstill; Jeffrey E. Moersch; Harry Y. McSween Jr.; Livio L. Tornabene; Amitabha Ghosh; Michael B. Wyatt; and Phillip R. Christensen."THEMIS characterization of the MER Gusev crater landing site." JGR Planets Journal of Geophysical Research Planets, vol. 108, issue E12 (December 2003): 8078 (ROV 19-1 to ROV 19-24).
Available via Wiley Online Library @ https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699100

Platt, Jane, ed. "Gusev Crater." NASA Science Mars Exploration > Multimedia > Images.
Available via NASA Science Mars Exploration @ https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/7647/gusev-crater/

Platt, Jane, ed. "What's in a Name? It Depends on Who's Doing the Naming." NASA Science Mars Exploration > Mars Exploration Rovers MER > Spotlight. June 2, 2004.
Available via NASA Mars Exploration Rovers MER @ https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/spotlight/spirit/a24_20040602.html