Impact-Induced Seismic Activity on Asteroid 433 Eros: A Surface Modification Process

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 306; no. 5701; pp. 1526 - 1529
• Main Authors: Richardson, James E., Melosh, H. Jay, Greenberg, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 26.11.2004; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Analysis; Asteroids; Asteroids (minor planets); Astronomy; Crustal fractures; Discovery and exploration; Earth, ocean, space; Energy; Eros (Asteroid); Evidence; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency distribution; Impact craters; Kinetics; Lunar crust; Lunar Research; Observations; Outer space; Planetary, asteroid, and satellite characteristics and properties; Planets, their satellites and rings. Asteroids; Regolith; Seismic activity; Seismic energy; Seismic tomography; Seismographs; Seismology; Solar system; Space exploration; Statistical Distributions; Surface features, cratering, and topography; Surface gravity; Topography; United States; Stochastic model; Modelling; Regolith; Impact crater; Asteroids; Diameter
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1104731

High-resolution images of the surface of asteroid 433 Eros revealed evidence of downslope movement of a loose regolith layer, as well as the degradation and erasure of small impact craters (less than ~100 meters in diameter). One hypothesis to explain these observations is seismic reverberation after impact events. We used a combination of seismic and geomorphic modeling to analyze the response of regolith-covered topography, particularly craters, to impact-induced seismic shaking. Applying these results to a stochastic cratering model for the surface of Eros produced good agreement with the observed size-frequency distribution of craters, including the paucity of small craters.