The role of material properties in the cratering record of young platy-ridged lava on Mars

Platy‐ridged surfaces in the Elysium Planitia region of Mars exhibit different crater densities on rafted plates and polygonally patterned areas between them. Rather than being indicative of different ages, these differences provide insight into the variable strength of different types of lava surface. The sizes of small craters, and the resulting size‐frequency distribution (SFD), depend on the material strength of target surfaces. Brecciated lava surfaces are likely to have higher crater densities than coherent lava.