Some effects of multiple large meteorite impacts on Mars

Ruedas T, Breuer D

Abstract

Most studies of the effect of basin-forming impacts on mantle convection include only a single impact. The actual evolution of planets, however, is shaped by a multitude of impacts, many of which occur in relatively close succession and proximity to each other, and so interactions between them are expected. We follow up on some earlier studies that considered the potential cumulative effects of successive impacts and investigate the extent of mutual interaction between two or more impacts as a function of spatial and temporal separation with a series of numerical mantle convection models.