0
Why do impacts craters on the moon remain for millions of years?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Because the moon has no weather to gradually wear them down.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why don't the craters on the moon eventually erode away?
They do, but very slowly. There is no atmosphere or liquid water on the Moon, meaning no wind, waves, or blowing dust to erode the craters. There is also no volcanic activity or tectonic action to erase them as on Earth. Many more craters have been obliterated by subsequent impacts than by slowly crumbling away. Some craters are hundreds of millions of years old.
Why don't craters erode on the moon?
They do, but extremely slowly. There is no atmosphere or liquid water on the Moon, meaning no wind, rivers, waves, or blowing dust to erode the craters. There is also no volcanic activity or tectonic action to erase them as on Earth. Many more craters have been obliterated by subsequent impacts than by slowly crumbling away. Some craters are hundreds of millions of years old, and have many smaller craters within them.
Why do craters last for millions of years on the moon?
because the gravity keeps it there and there is not or is an answer for the time in space to know how long it stays there
Why craters on the moon last millions of years?
On the Moon there are no weathering processes like wind, water flow or tectonic activity.
What are the saucer like depressions on the moon's surface called?
They are called "craters" and were produced by meteor impacts (the vast majority more than 2 billion years ago).
Why do craters last for millions of years on the surface of the moon?
Craters last for millions of years on the surface of the moon because the moon does not have an atmosphere. Saying this the moon does not have anything able to fill in the craters such as soil or rain.
Why do craters. Last for millions of years on the surface of the moon?
Craters last for millions of years on the surface of the moon because the moon does not have an atmosphere. Saying this the moon does not have anything able to fill in the craters such as soil or rain.
Why do you see several impact craters on the earth but few on the moon?
There are relatively few craters identified on the surface of the Earth while there are thousands (millions) on the moon. It is hard to find one point on the moon that is not in one crater and there are craters in craters in craters. (See images in related link for Moon.) Obviously, the major reason behind this is that the craters that formed on the Earth eroded over time due to wind, rain and other natural factors which are nearly absent on the moon. Thus Earth's craters disappear over millions of years while the craters on the moon remain for billions of years. (The primary way a crater is made to disappear from the surface of the moon is by having another impact crater formed and the dust and debris from later impacts disturb or destroy or cover the original crater.)
What makes a crater on the moon?
The craters on the Moon are the marks made by high-speed impacts by small to moderately-sized meteoroids, objects that still strike the Moon with some regularity. The Moon has no atmosphere to impede these objects, as Earth does, and no erosion by wind and water to erase them, only the very slow crumbling of the surface into dust. The Moon also has no tectonic activity or volcanoes that could alter its surface. So most craters remain mostly unchanged for many millions of years. A very large number of craters do have other craters inside or overlapping them, and new small craters are formed every year by new impacts.
Why don't the craters on the moon eventually erode away?
They do, but very slowly. There is no atmosphere or liquid water on the Moon, meaning no wind, waves, or blowing dust to erode the craters. There is also no volcanic activity or tectonic action to erase them as on Earth. Many more craters have been obliterated by subsequent impacts than by slowly crumbling away. Some craters are hundreds of millions of years old.
Why don't craters erode on the moon?
They do, but extremely slowly. There is no atmosphere or liquid water on the Moon, meaning no wind, rivers, waves, or blowing dust to erode the craters. There is also no volcanic activity or tectonic action to erase them as on Earth. Many more craters have been obliterated by subsequent impacts than by slowly crumbling away. Some craters are hundreds of millions of years old, and have many smaller craters within them.
Why can you still see craters on the moon that were formed millions of years ago?
Because the moon has no weather, wind, rain, etc, to wear the craters down. Things existing in a frozen vacuum where nothing ever happens tend to stay the same way for millions of years without changing - like the craters on the moon.
Which planet is less diameter of the earth and looks like are own moon?
Mercury, the smallest planet. It is bigger than our moon but has a very similar appearance. It has no atmosphere like our moon, so craters from impacts survive for millions of years on the surface.
Why do craters last for millions of years on the moon?
because the gravity keeps it there and there is not or is an answer for the time in space to know how long it stays there
Why craters on the moon last millions of years?
On the Moon there are no weathering processes like wind, water flow or tectonic activity.
Why does earth lack craters?
Earth does have impact craters, but it has much few than the moon or Mercury and many of them are not readily visible. The main reason is that Earth has many active geologic processes that renew and change its surface, burying and destroying impact craters. If an impact crater on Earth is clearly visible then it probably formed quite recently in geologic history. Many of the impact craters on the moon and Mercury are billions of years old, dating to when the solar system was young and large asteroid impacts were far more common than they are now. Very little of Earth's crust from that time remains intact. By contrast craters on Earth that are tens of millions of years old are not readily visible.
What are the saucer like depressions on the moon's surface called?
They are called "craters" and were produced by meteor impacts (the vast majority more than 2 billion years ago).
