McMurdo is a crater in the Mare Australe quadrangle of Mars, located at 84.4° S and 359.1° W. It has a diameter of 30.3 km and is named after McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
Appearance Many distinct layers are visible in the south wall of the crater. Layering is a widespread feature on Mars and has been documented extensively since the Mars Global Surveyor mission returned high-resolution images of the planet’s surface.Malin, M. C., & Edgett, K. S. (2000). Sedimentary Rocks of Early Mars. Science, 290(5498), 1927–1937.
Rock layers on Mars can form through several geological processes, including volcanic activity, wind deposition, or water-related sedimentation.
A comprehensive overview of Martian sedimentary layering is provided in Sedimentary Geology of Mars.Grotzinger, J. and R. Milliken (eds.). 2012. Sedimentary Geology of Mars. SEPM. Grotzinger and Milliken have discussed how both wind and water likely contributed to the formation of these layers.Grotzinger, J.P. and R.E. Milliken (2012). The sedimentary rock record of Mars: Distribution, origins, and global stratigraphy, SEPM Special Publication, 102, 1–48.
Immediately south of McMurdo crater lies a field of short, dark streaks and fans. These features are formed by the seasonal sublimation of carbon dioxide in the spring, when rising temperatures cause pressurized gas to escape through the surface. The escaping CO2 gas carries dark material, which is then deposited downwind, forming streaks and fan shapes. Because of their appearance, these features are sometimes referred to as “spiders.”
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See also Geology of Mars Geyser (Mars) HiRISE Impact crater Impact event List of craters on Mars Ore resources on Mars Planetary nomenclature
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