Pangboche is a young
impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters ...
on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
, in the
Tharsis quadrangle
The Tharsis quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The Tharsis quadrangle is also referred to as MC-9 (Mars Chart-9).
The name Tharsis refe ...
near the summit of
Olympus Mons
Olympus Mons (; Latin for Mount Olympus) is a large shield volcano on Mars. The volcano has a height of over 21.9 km (13.6 mi or 72,000 ft) as measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). Olympus Mons is about two and a h ...
.
It was named after
a village in Nepal.
[http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov] It measures 10 kilometer in diameter, and is at 17.47° N and 133.4° W.
The average depth of the crater is 954 m, and the height of the crater rim varies between 80 and 240 meters.
Pangboche formed in young lava flows on the flank of Olympus Mons.
The morphology of Pangboche is very similar to that of lunar craters, likely due to the lack of volatiles in both the atmosphere and the target. It lacks several features often attributed to the presence of volatiles in the target rocks, including layered ejecta and lobate flows. It is a complex crater featuring a flat floor and several terraces.
Pangboche is estimated to be less than 240 million years old.
References
Tharsis quadrangle
Impact craters on Mars
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