Rudaux (crater)

Rudaux Crater is an impact crater in the Ismenius Lacus quadrangle of Mars, located at 38.3°N latitude and 309.1°W longitude. It is 107.0  km in diameter and was named after Lucien Rudaux, and the name was approved in 1973 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).

The density of impact craters is used to determine the surface ages of Mars and other solar system bodies. The older the surface, the more craters present. Sometimes craters will display layers which can help researchers understand the past geology of a region. The collision that produces a crater often causes rocks from deep underground to be tossed unto the surface. Hence, craters can show us what lies deep under the surface. Impacts fracture rocks and create a great deal of heat that may last for many thousands of years. This heat can result in new minerals from hydrothermal circulation. On Earth impact craters have resulted in useful minerals. Some of the ores produced from impact related effects on Earth include ores of iron, uranium, gold, copper, and nickel. It is estimated that the value of materials mined from impact structures is 5 billion dollars/year just for North America. While nothing may be found on Mars that would justify the high cost of transport to Earth, the more necessary ores future colonists can obtain from Mars, the easier it would be to build colonies on the Red Planet.

On Mars, heat from impact melts ice in the ground. The heat from thousands of impacts especially early in the history of Mars may have helped life to survive. Impacts may have melted ice and kept the region around the crater warm for thousands of years.

Many craters once contained lakes. Primitive organisms may have developed in such lakes; hence, some craters may be prime targets for the search for evidence of life on the Red Planet. On Mars, heat from impact melts ice in the ground. The heat from thousands of impacts especially early in the history of Mars may have helped life to survive. Impacts may have melted ice and kept the region around the crater warm for thousands of years.

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