A THEORY

WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?

  We have an area of the Moon which seems to have numerous large collapse features. In this area we have a crater which exhibits both the subdued appearance of an old crater and the depth of a young crater. Like an old crater, this one shows no sign of ejecta while the southern wall displays dense field of finely detailed debris. This debris presents us with somewhat of a puzzle.

  If the debris were created by the impact which formed the crater, some of it should be easily visible outside the crater. Also, if the debris were created by the impact, much of it would have rebounded onto the floor at the center of this relatively steep-sided crater. But the floor is strangely clear of resolvable debris.

  If the debris were the result of slumping of the crater wall, the southern rim should be uneven; not only lower, but extending further outward to the south, or inward, to the north.

  In short, we are left with a crater with many odd and seemingly contradictory features.

HOW MIGHT THIS BE EXPLAINED?

  There is one scenario which could account for the apparent contradictions of this crater. Given that the crater appears to be in an area of large collapse features, it would be logical to assume that numerous large cavities or porous areas exist not too far below the surface. The presence of the many dimple craters in the area is further evidence of this. If the roof of one of these features were thin enough, a relatively small meteor might penetrate it without expending much of its energy at the surface. It might then traverse the cavity, expending the bulk of its energy on the firmer bedrock below.

  The resulting explosion might be directed laterally since it would for the most part be contained by the roof of the cavity. The spreading shock wave might form a "ripple" on the surface as the roof collapsed. The roof would prevent most or all of the debris from being ejected from the crater. The hole punched in the collapsed roof might explain the relatively smooth area at the center of the crater.

  The above scenario could explain the lack of ejecta, the subdued, rounded rim, and the depth of the crater. It would also explain how these features could exist in a single crater.

  But what about the debris on the southern wall? The presence of such dense debris dictates that there should be more debris either outside the crater or at its center, yet there is neither. If the debris were buried just below the surface of the regolith at the time of impact, there still should be some debris outside the crater or at its center.

  Unless...

  Suppose, as its appearance might suggest, this debris were not natural? Let us further suppose that this is the remnant of some ancient structure. Such debris might be interconnected to an extent, thus preventing any large degree of displacement both during and after the impact which caused the collapse.

  Artificial debris on the surface might imply an artificial nature for the underlying cavity, or that the structure was deliberately built over an existing natural cavity in order to utilize it for habitation.

  Does all of this indicate an artificial subsurface structure? Not necessarily. What the entire question boils down to is the highly unusual appearance of the debris. This debris is, in our opinion, so unusual as to raise the the possibility of artificiality. This, for the moment, is our working theory.

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