craterwalled

Craterwalled is a descriptive term used in geology and planetary science to describe craters that retain prominent, high, steep inner walls enclosing a relatively well-defined crater floor. The term emphasizes morphology rather than origin and is commonly applied to features where the wall remains largely intact, in contrast to heavily degraded or flooded craters.

Characteristic features include a pronounced rim, near-vertical or steep interior walls, and, in some cases, terraced wall steps produced by partial collapse. The interior is often shallow relative to the height of the rim, and wall preservation can indicate limited erosion, a relatively young surface age, or strong substrate resistance.

Craterwalls form through standard impact excavation followed by stabilization of the wall and minimal infill. In arid or cold regions, low weathering rates help preserve walls; tectonic uplift or selective erosion of surrounding material can also accentuate the crater’s walls. Observations of craterwalled craters can yield information about subsurface composition exposed by the wall to the interior.

Although useful as a descriptive label, craterwalled is not a formal geological class. It is used in field descriptions, mission planning, and comparative planetology to distinguish craters with well-preserved walls from those that have been largely eroded, flooded, or otherwise degraded. The term is a practical shorthand within the broader study of crater morphology across planetary bodies.