INITIAL GEOLOGIC MAPPING OF THE AC-H-11 SINTANA QUADRANGLE OF CERES USING DAWN SPACECRAFT DATA
Ac-H-11 Sintana, one of 15 mapping quadrangles, is located in Ceres' southern hemisphere between 21-66°S and 0-90°E. The dominant feature is an alignment of three craters in the topographically lower center of the quadrangle. These craters illustrate the variety of crater forms, inner crater structures and symmetries, such as terraced walls and central structures. There are numerous central peaks, for example inside the crater Sintana. The largest craters in the quadrangle reveal more complex inner structures and flat floors. Great variation in the slopes of crater walls and degradation states of crater rims can be found. Initial mapping reveals mass wasting features, such as landslides. Information about surface composition and local tectonics might be inferred from single positive topography features. A prominent example is located to the south of the Sintana crater. We will identify the types of linear structures and analyze them in terms of possible predominant directions. Different ratios of color-filter images suggest a major geological boundary in the NE of the quadrangle. Increasingly higher resolution data during the Dawn mission will provide an opportunity to draw a link between all single observations.
We thank I. von der Gathen, E. Kersten, K.-D. Matz, A. Naß, K. Otto, C.M. Pieters, M.C. De Sanctis, S. Schröder, K. Stephan, R. J. Wagner, C.A. Raymond and C.T. Russell.