The view from orbit: Discoveries and challenges of hydrothermal deposition in a large impact crater on asteroid Ceres

Abstract

Mapping of hydrothermal deposits in the 92-km Occator impact crater on Ceres provide a unique opportunity to examine hydrothermal processes and deposits from a planetary perspective. Bright deposits of carbonates and hydrated salts occur on the central uplift and in a cluster of isolated bright spots on the eastern crater floor. Formation was likely by innumerable small seeps of brine that coalesced to form larger contiguous deposits. Isolated bright spots also occur on the crater rim, and small domes and pits occur elsewhere on the floor but are not common, indicating hydrothermal output was spatially limited. Occator and its hydrothermal deposits are considered a prime target for future exploration.