Why it matters

Mead sets the scale for the Venus section and asks the interface to explain radar imagery.

What happenedThe largest known impact structure on Venus, expressed through radar data.
Why it mattersMead sets the scale for the Venus section and asks the interface to explain radar imagery.
How scientists knowGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Measurements and uncertainty

Diamètre270 km
Depthnot listed
Agerelative to Venus's young surface
StatutConfirmé
Coordinates12.500° N / 57.200° E
Record levelextended

Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.

Profil scientifique

The structure shows ring morphology, radar-bright ejecta, and the relationship between impact forms and Venusian terrain.

Data provenanceGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Galerie de reconstruction

Davantage de lectures visuelles du cratère

Si l'image vérifiée ne suffit pas, la fiche reçoit une reconstruction scientifique : non pas de la fantaisie à la place du fait, mais une hypothèse visuelle séparée des sources.

Palette du mondeVenusian amber, radar, and dense atmosphere
Radar imagery reveals the surface through the dense atmosphere.
Aperçu visuel actuelPlaque de base : source, matériau orbital ou planche éditoriale où commence la lecture visuelle.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

Chaque fiche doit avoir un aperçu visuel : image existante, source traitée esthétiquement ou reconstruction scientifique.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Historique de recherche

Its detailed image is primarily associated with Magellan radar mapping.

Sources

CSVJSONMead. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library
Uncertainty note
Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.
Gazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGSNASA Image and Video LibraryNASA

Education mode

Faits

  • Venus has few very small craters because of its dense atmosphere.
  • Mead is named after anthropologist Margaret Mead.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareDickinson