Concept information
Preferred term
impact crater
Definition
- An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain. Lunar impact craters range from microscopic craters on lunar rocks returned by the Apollo program and small, simple, bowl-shaped depressions in the lunar regolith to large, complex, multi-ringed impact basins. Meteor Crater is a well-known example of a small impact crater on Earth. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_crater)
Broader concept
Narrower concepts
Synonym(s)
- impact cratering
- meteor crater
In other languages
-
French
-
cratère météorique
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-P3XP5KHL-1
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