Grindavik is an impact crater in the Oxia Palus quadrangle of Mars, located at 25.39° North and 39.07° West. It is 12 km (7.5 mi) in diameter and was named after Grindavík, a town in Iceland.[1] Impact craters generally have a rim with ejecta around them, in contrast volcanic craters usually do not have a rim or ejecta deposits. As craters get larger (greater than 10 km or 6.2 mi in diameter) they usually have a central peak.[2] The peak is caused by a rebound of the crater floor following the impact.[3]

Grindavik
Grindavik Crater, as seen by HiRISE. Scale bar is 1000 meters long.
PlanetMars
Coordinates25°23′N 39°04′W / 25.39°N 39.07°W / 25.39; -39.07
QuadrangleOxia Palus
Diameter12 km
EponymGrindavík, Iceland

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Grindavik (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ^ "Stones, Wind, and Ice: A Guide to Martian Impact Craters".
  3. ^ Hugh H. Kieffer (1992). Mars. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-1257-7. Retrieved 7 March 2011.