The Morphology of Small Craters and Knobs on the Surface of Jupiter's Satellite Callisto

Abstract

Using the images of Callisto's surface acquired at 15-km resolution by the Galileo spacecraft during its C21 orbit, we studied the morphology of craters with diameters of less than 1–2 km and knobs. By analogy with other regions of Callisto that have been studied, these craters and knobs are thought to be formed by the sublimation degradation of the rims of larger craters that are also present in the region under study. The small craters closely resemble similar-sized lunar craters and, by analogy with the latter, are also divided into morphological classes. The depths of 42 craters of different morphological classes are estimated using shadow lengths visible in the craters. The fractions of the craters of different classes in the subpopulation are determined as a function of the crater diameter. Evidence has been obtained that larger craters degrade at a slower rate than smaller ones. The mean thickness of the mantle of dark material (∼40 m) is estimated from the sizes of the craters ejecting the blocks of the basement ice material. The shape of the knob shadows shows that the knobs are heights of mostly conical form with slopes whose steepness is close to the angle of repose. Analysis has shown that the observed landforms and material units of the region under investigation have been formed during two successive stages of the geologic history of Callisto. Large craters, knobs, and the mantle of dark material were formed mostly at the end of the period of heavy meteorite bombardment. The leading processes of this period are impact cratering, the sublimation of Callisto's “crustal” ice with the accumulation of residual non-icy material, and downslope mass movement. The next stage, which continues until the present time, involved the formation of the subpopulation of small (<1–2 km) craters. This formation was accompanied by the impact reworking of the upper portion of the dark mantle. The key processes occurring at this stage are impact cratering and downslope mass movement. The mean intensity of resurfacing at this stage is much lower than at the preceding stage.