A Lunar Volcanic Crater

摘要

FOR GENERATIONS, observers have debated the origin of lunar craters. Were they formed by impact or volcanism? Since the 1960s, the evidence has become overwhelming that the vast majority of craters on the Moon and every solid body in the solar system have an impact origin. Vast fields of mare lavas clearly show that volcanism was also a major lunar process, but other than small pits on mare domes, the features we commonly call craters were not formed by volcanism. Except for one.