The Morphometry of Impact Craters on Bennu

Abstract

Bennu is an ~500-m-diameter rubble-pile asteroid that is the target of detailed study by the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission. Here we use data from the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter to assess depth-to-diameter ratios (d/D) of 108 impact craters larger than 10 m in diameter. The d/D of craters on Bennu ranges from 0.02 to 0.19. The mean is 0.10 ± 0.03. The smallest craters show the broadest range in d/D, consistent with d/D measurements on other asteroids. A few craters have central mounds, which is interpreted as evidence that a more competent substrate lies a few meters beneath them. The range of d/D narrows as crater size increases, with craters larger than 80 m tending toward smaller d/D. At large scales, increases in target strength with depth, combined with target curvature, may affect crater morphometry. © 2020. The Authors.