Definition
Complex crater with a single central uplift, a tight cluster of peaks, or a tightly spaced ring-like arrangement of peaks (e.g., Baker et al. 2011).
Category
A type of complex crater.
Description
The central peak is the simplest interior feature of complex craters. Many central peak craters have scalloped rims, terraced inner walls, and hummocky floors, on both rocky and icy bodies. These are inferred to represent failure by slumping and mass wasting of materials onto the floor (Greeley et al. 2000). The central peak itself can be a simple peak at or near the center of the crater floor, or can be composed of multiple uplift segments.
Morphometry
Central peak diameter and height increase proportionally with crater rim crest diameter (Hale and Head 1979 and references therein). The top of the central peak is generally below the rim and the surrounding terrain (Öhman 2009 and references therein) (Fig. 1), although central peaks in the largest craters can reach and exceed the...
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Bray, V.J., Öhman, T., Hargitai, H. (2015). Central Peak Crater. In: Hargitai, H., Kereszturi, Á. (eds) Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_37
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