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There are a number of factors that determine the size and shape of a crater.

The two most significant are the mass of the impactor, and the speed.

Other influential factors would include the composition of the object (solid rock or more aggregate, like pebbles? Ice?) the shape of the object, and the composition of the impact site. If it is on dry land, it will be more likely to leave a visible crater, while a water or marshy impact site would be quickly erased. If a water impact, the depth of the water and the topography of the surrounding seas would be vastly important. A strike in a deep ocean basin might be relatively mild, while a water strike in the South China Sea or Gulf of Mexico, with the constricted water flow, might result in catastrophic tsunamis inundating the surrounding areas.

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13y ago
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11y ago

That depends on the size of the object making the impact. If it's large enough, it can break up a planet, or in case of the moon, create a new one. The best place to study impact craters is on the moon. If you look at the moon, you can see a large crater near the southern edge with rays emanating over almost the entire face of the moon. That's crater Tycho. It was formed from a very large impact. Rays and a central peak are typical characteristics of impact craters. Central peaks are formed when the planet's surface rebounds from a very large impact. Meteor Crater in northern Arizona once had a small central peak, but it eroded over time. Smaller objects do not penetrate the surface far enough to cause a central peak. Craters formed by impacts also have an elevated rim caused by pushing the soil out when the impact occurred. The rim of Meteor Crater rises about 150 feet above the surrounding terrain. Large impact craters on the moon have rims that elevate several miles above their surroundings.

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12y ago

The crater is always bigger than the impactor.

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12y ago

Mass and velocity. The composition of the meteor would be a lesser factor in determining the size of the crater.

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Q: What are two variables that could cause meteorites to form different sized craters?
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Meteorites that strike the monn's surface cause which suface feature?

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Meteorites that strike the moon's surface cause which surface feature?

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