Bernard (crater)

Bernard is a large crater in the Memnonia quadrangle of Mars, located at 23.4° south latitude and 154.2° west longitude. It is 128 km in diameter and was named after P. Bernard, a French atmospheric scientist.^[1] The floor of the crater contains large cracks, which may be due to erosion.

Impact craters generally have a rim with ejecta around them, in contrast volcanic craters usually do not have a rim or ejecta deposits. As craters get larger (greater than 10 km in diameter) they usually have a central peak.^[2] The peak is caused by a rebound of the crater floor following the impact.^[3] If one measures the diameter of a crater, the original depth can be estimated with various ratios. Because of this relationship, researchers have found that many Martian craters contain a great deal of material; much of it is believed to be ice deposited when the climate was different.^[4] Sometimes craters expose layers that were buried. Rocks from deep underground are tossed onto the surface. Hence, craters can show us what lies deep under the surface.

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  Map showing the relative positions of Bernard Crater and other nearby craters in Memnonia quadrangle
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  West side of Bernard Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
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  Close-up of part of floor of Bernard Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
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  Close-up of part of floor of Bernard Crater showing troughs and dust devil tracks, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
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  Bernard Crater Floor, as seen by HiRISE. Large cracks are visible on floor.
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  Troughs on the floor of Bernard Crater showing many boulders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
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  Troughs on the floor of Bernard Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program

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