Noachis Terra Crater

Today's VIS image shows part of the floor of an unnamed crater in southern Noachis Terra. This crater has an unusual crater floor morphology. At some point after the crater formed, the interior was filled by materials. At some later point in time these materials were eroded to form the depression seen in the image. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. Small gullies dissect the sides of this depression. The mechanism of both the filling of the crater and the formation of the depression is not known. There are several other craters in Noachis Terra that have this same floor morphology, including Rabe Crater, Asizmov Crather and Maunder Crater.