Crater Atlas

Gottwald, M., Kenkmann, T. & Reimold, W.U. (2020): Terrestrial Impact Structures. The TanDEM-X Atlas, Pfeil, München, 608. 

Asteroid impacts and the formation of impact craters are fundamental processes in the solar system and also influenced the development of life on Earth. In the last 50 years, interplanetary space travel has made it possible to map cratered surfaces in our solar system. The current number of impact craters on Earth represents only a fraction of the historical impacts, as geological processes such as erosion and sedimentation have erased many traces.

Satellite mapping and modern remote sensing methods, in particular via DLR’s TanDEM-X mission between 2010 and 2016, created the first high-resolution global digital elevation model of the Earth’s solid surface. Based on this data, the first topographical atlas of all known terrestrial impact craters was created, which explains the basics of the impact process, radar remote sensing and the TanDEM-X mission. The atlas provides comprehensive information on the Earth’s impact craters on more than 200 topographical maps, supplemented by geological descriptions and illustrations. The atlas consists of 2 bound volumes.