Craters
The table below contains information about the distribution of
craters on
Earth and Mars.
Earth
This image shows ocean temperatures (red=warm, blue=cold).
Click on image for full size version (55K GIF)
Image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey
Two-thirds of the surface of the Earth is covered with
water. The rest of
the land surface is lightly cratered. On Earth, craters are erased from
the surface by the action of wind and water erosion, as the surface
gradually changes with time.
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Mars
Look at the full size version of this image. You'll see
numerous craters on the surface
of Mars. Colors represent altitude of terrain (blue=low, red-white=high).
Click on image for full size version (160K GIF)
Image from Mars Global Surveyor, NASA/JPL
There are no oceans on Mars! Almost the entire
surface of Mars is
cratered to various degrees. The Tharsis Ridge, where the volcanoes of Mars
are located, is lightly cratered. The lowlands of Mars are
moderately cratered, but the highlands of Mars, in the southern
hemisphere (seen in the upper image above), are heavily
cratered.
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