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Falsaron (crater)

Falsaron
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Image of Iapetus. Falsaron is located at the upper-left, bordering the bright region Roncevaux Terra.
Feature typeImpact basin
LocationIapetus
Coordinates33°48′N 82°36′W / 33.80°N 82.60°W / 33.80; -82.60[1]
Diameter422±22 km[2]: 702 
Depth10.5±4.4 km[2]: 702 
EponymCharacter from the Song of Roland

Falsaron is a large impact basin located on Saturn's outermost major moon Iapetus. Informally given the provisional designation of basin IV early in the study of Iapetus's topography,[3][4]: 88  the name Falsaron was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 5 August 2008, after the brother of King Marsilion in the Song of Roland.[1]

Falsaron is roughly 420 kilometres (260 mi) in diameter, with a depth of around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi).[2]: 702  The nature of Falsaron's crater floor is ambiguous. In 2008, a team of researchers led by Bernd Giese argued that the crater floor features a broad, domed profile and lacks a central peak.[3]: 368  A domed floor would be indicative of viscous relaxation,[3]: 369  a process which results in a raised crater floor.[2]: 37  However, a later team led by Guillaume Robuchon noted that Iapetus's topographical data lacks the resolution to confidently distinguish between domes and central peaks. Additionally, their models of Iapetian crater relaxation failed to produce domical uplift.[4]: 83  Falsaron partially covers an older impact basin about 800 kilometres (500 mi) in size; the impact event that created Falsaron likely destroyed the interior structure of the older, larger basin.[3]: 370 [4]: 87  Several linear features—likely secondary crater chains—radiate from Falsaron, crossing Iapetus's equatorial ridge.[5]: 203 

References

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  1. ^ a b "Falsaron". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. (Center Latitude: 33.80°, Center Longitude: 82.60°; Planetographic, +West)
  2. ^ a b c d White, Oliver L.; Schenk, Paul M.; Dombard, Andrew J. (April 2013). "Impact basin relaxation on Rhea and Iapetus and relation to past heat flow". Icarus. 223 (2): 699–709. Bibcode:2013Icar..223..699W. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.01.013.
  3. ^ a b c d Giese, Bernd; Denk, Tilmann; Neukum, Gerhard; Roatsch, Thomas; Helfenstein, Paul; Thomas, Peter C.; Turtle, Elizabeth P.; McEwan, Alfred; Porco, Carolyn C. (February 2008). "The topography of Iapetus' leading side". Icarus. 193 (2): 359–371. Bibcode:2008Icar..193..359G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.06.005.
  4. ^ a b c Robuchon, Guillaume; Nimmo, Francis; Roberts, James; Kirchoff, Michelle (July 2011). "Impact basin relaxation at Iapetus". Icarus. 214 (1): 82–90. Bibcode:2011Icar..214...82R. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.05.011.
  5. ^ Singer, Kelsi N.; McKinnon, William B. (November 2011). "Tectonics on Iapetus: Despinning, respinning, or something completely different?". Icarus. 216 (1): 198–211. Bibcode:2011Icar..216..198S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.08.023.
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