APPLIED CRATER SCIENCE: UNIQUE INSIGHTS INTO DIVERSE GEOLOGIC PHENOMENA

Understanding impact craters and their geologic effects are of fundamental importance in planetary geology, yet many misconceptions about basic impact parameters abound. Making informed geologic inferences requires a solid working knowledge about cratering mechanics and evolution, a discipline here termed “applied crater science.” Although Peter Schultz is perhaps best known for his work on experimental impact craters, he has been a long practitioner of applying cratering knowledge to other problems, and he has provided unique or novel insights into several otherwise inscrutable geologic phenomena. Notable examples include the recognition of paleopolar deposits on Mars (as indicated by pedestal craters), evidence for former satellites of Mars (as indicated by an over-abundance of oblique impacts), evidence for recent gas explosions on the Moon (as indicated by endogenic craterform Ina), and predictions of the global seismic effects of large-scale impact events (supported by the unique surface roughness characteristics of Orientale Basin ejecta). Additionally, the recently-landed MSL rover Curiosity will explore Gale crater and provide in situ analyses of an outlier of the putative paleopolar deposits, demonstrating that Pete’s ideas continue to influence the direction of planetary exploration.