Comparison of Mass Wasting Processes on Vesta and Ceres

Abstract

The Dawn mission has significantly enhanced our understanding regarding surface and subsurface geological processes on Vesta and Ceres. The ample amount of high resolution imaging and spectral data has improved our knowledge with respect to formation of small bodies, their evolution and current state [7, 12, 2, 17]. Earlier studies of mass movements on Vesta focus on the southern latitudes where the giant Rheasilvia impact basin is responsible for a high topographic relief representing ideal mass wasting conditions [8,9]. On Ceres, fluidized mass movement helped to assert the presence of water ice at shallow subsurface at global scale [15,3,6]. Using above finding as a base, we extend these studies by classifying [10] and comparing the mass movement behavior under similar gravity but compositionally different conditions present on Vesta and Ceres. Vesta being dry [7] and Ceres with water ice on shallow surface [17] may introduce differences within its landslide properties.