<p>Ulysses Tholes is a volcanic mountain with a caldera, that is overlapped by two sizable impact craters.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/TMoeIGtJm.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TMoeIGtJm.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>This image from NASA's Mars Trek shows the mountain, caldera and impact craters.  The volcanic nature of the main feature is mentioned on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_Tholus" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipeda site</a> &quot;Ulysses Tholus is a Martian volcano ... Note the lack of a rim. Volcanic craters do not usually have a rim, as most impact craters do.&quot;</p>
<p>The fact that the northern crater is an impact is mentioned in a <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia03900-ulysses-patera" rel="nofollow noreferrer">description of a THEMIS image of the area</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>[The stair-stepping plateaus] are part of the rim of the northern crater, and are caused by collapse or subsidence after the impact event. ... Another possibility is that the impact that formed the northern crater caused material to be ejected radially, and then parts of the ejecta have either been buried or eroded away.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Close inspection of the caldera floor shows numerous small impact craters (with rims).  In fact almost any Martian volcanic caldera of decent size will have a peppering of small impact.  They can be found all over the Olympus Mons crater floor.</p>
<p>I'd previously mentioned in a comment the volanic field on the moon near the (impact) crater <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortensius_(crater)#/media/File:Hortensius_Domes_(LRO).png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hortensius</a>, there are several small lunar domes here, each with a volcanic crater at its summit.  Some of these craters show secondary cratering, most likely due to later impacts.</p>

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James K
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare" rel="nofollow noreferrer">lunar maria</a> are circular volcanic basalt, so technically, every impact on one makes an overlapping crater.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-31T12:14:33.833Z
They are flood basalt plains, so not sure if they can count as a proper "volcanic crater". But they do make nice interactions with impact craters, like this lunar kīpuka: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/images/671
Jean-Marie Prival
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Miss Understands
<p><a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/57747/7982">This answer to <em>Can a crater form inside another crater</em></a> points out that in addition to impact-on-impact double craters there can be volcanic double craters, and even a one on the other (though no example could be thought of there).</p>
<p>So I'd like to know if there are any specific examples of overlapping impact and volcanic craters on astronomical bodies beyond Earth.</p>
<p>Asked separately in Earth Science SE: <a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/26259/6031">Are there any specific examples of overlapping impact and volcanic craters on Earth?</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-29T03:04:32.593Z
I think https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortensius_(crater)#/media/File:Hortensius_Domes_(LRO).png gives examples.  Here there is a field of shield volcanos with caldra at their summit (volcanic craters) some of which have evidence of further cratering that overlaps, likely due to impacts.  Also the cratter "Donna" has small impact craters inside it..  But I can't get any direct claim that the additional craters are indeed impacts.
James K
<planetary-science><impact><crater><volcanism>
Are there any specific examples of overlapping impact and volcanic craters on astronomical bodies beyond Earth?
uhoh
# Are there any specific examples of overlapping impact and volcanic craters on astronomical bodies beyond Earth?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-05-29)

[This answer to *Can a crater form inside another crater*](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/57747/7982) points out that in addition to impact-on-impact double craters there can be volcanic double craters, and even a one on the other (though no example could be thought of there).

So I'd like to know if there are any specific examples of overlapping impact and volcanic craters on astronomical bodies beyond Earth.

Asked separately in Earth Science SE: [Are there any specific examples of overlapping impact and volcanic craters on Earth?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/26259/6031)

**Tags:** planetary-science, impact, crater, volcanism

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortensius_(crater)#/media/File:Hortensius_Domes_(LRO).png gives examples.  Here there is a field of shield volcanos with caldra at their summit (volcanic craters) some of which have evidence of further cratering that overlaps, likely due to impacts.  Also the cratter "Donna" has small impact craters inside it..  But I can't get any direct claim that the additional craters are indeed impacts.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-05-29. Score: 4

Ulysses Tholes is a volcanic mountain with a caldera, that is overlapped by two sizable impact craters.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/TMoeIGtJm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/TMoeIGtJm.png)

This image from NASA's Mars Trek shows the mountain, caldera and impact craters. The volcanic nature of the main feature is mentioned on the [Wikipeda site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_Tholus) "Ulysses Tholus is a Martian volcano ... Note the lack of a rim. Volcanic craters do not usually have a rim, as most impact craters do."

The fact that the northern crater is an impact is mentioned in a [description of a THEMIS image of the area](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia03900-ulysses-patera)

> [The stair-stepping plateaus] are part of the rim of the northern crater, and are caused by collapse or subsidence after the impact event. ... Another possibility is that the impact that formed the northern crater caused material to be ejected radially, and then parts of the ejecta have either been buried or eroded away.

Close inspection of the caldera floor shows numerous small impact craters (with rims). In fact almost any Martian volcanic caldera of decent size will have a peppering of small impact. They can be found all over the Olympus Mons crater floor.

I'd previously mentioned in a comment the volanic field on the moon near the (impact) crater [Hortensius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortensius_(crater)#/media/File:Hortensius_Domes_(LRO).png), there are several small lunar domes here, each with a volcanic crater at its summit. Some of these craters show secondary cratering, most likely due to later impacts.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-05-31. Score: 2

The [lunar maria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare) are circular volcanic basalt, so technically, every impact on one makes an overlapping crater.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: They are flood basalt plains, so not sure if they can count as a proper "volcanic crater". But they do make nice interactions with impact craters, like this lunar kīpuka: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/images/671  

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