I was always under the impression that a meteorite would be destroyed from the impact. I don't understand how there is a mass inside the craters like
these.
Differences in formation of a simple crater and a complex crater. The central peak of the complex crater is formed as a result of uplift of
material stratigraphically beneath the crater, which rebounds in response to compression caused by the impact. From Melosh (1989
It's facinating how fluid solid material gets under these extreme contitions. It reminds me of high speed films "slow-motion" of drops of liquid
landing. They always produce that trademark rebound droplet in the center.
OMG.....the second photo, the one of the Mars crater, looks like a golf ball stuck in it!!?? Seriously that is the oddest crater I've seen in a
while! Does it look like there is a 'grid' on that lump to anyone else?
Thats a dune field, in the bottom of that Mars crater.
Opportunity rover gave us a close-up look at a similar dune field
at the bottom of Endurance crater last year.
Here is a false color image of a portion of that dune field..
You can see some criss-crossing ( golf ball dimples?) in this image.