This small, 230-meter crater formed by the impact of an asteroid onto a lobate flow deposit on Mars.

These deposits are surmised to have formed by the flow of glacial material on the surface of the planet. Ground-penetrating radar data from SHARAD, the radar sounder aboard MRO, show that a large abundance of ice is under the surface .

The impact penetrated through the material and into the substrate and formed this “double crater” as it excavated material from these two layers of different strengths.

Written by: Eldar Noe (audio by Tre Gibbs)   (19 September 2012)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_028083_2310 .

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_028162_2310

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona