Planet | Mars |
---|---|
Coordinates | 41°30′N 236°00′W / 41.5°N 236.0°W |
Quadrangle | Cebrenia |
Diameter | 37.0 km (23.0 mi) |
Eponym | Chincoteague, Virginia, USA |
Chincoteague is an impact crater in the Cebrenia quadrangle of Mars, located at 41.5° N and 236.0° W. It was named after Chincoteague, a town in Virginia, US.[1] Chincoteague crater has a small central mound. Along the wall, a number of gullies are visible.
Main article: Martian Gullies |
Chincoteague crater displays gullies on its wall. Many ideas have been put forth to explain them. For many years, many researchers thought they were made by recent liquid water.[2] However, with more observations, other mechanisms became possible. It was observed that new gullies were forming today during the Martian spring when dry ice was able to sublimate (turn from a solid to a gas). Chunks of dry ice could accumulate in the cold winter months and then slide down when warmed. In the thin atmosphere of the planet they would ride on a cushion of gas that was coming off the pieces of dry ice.[3][4][5]