Geological Chronicle
Dawes is located in the wide strait between Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquillitatis, positioned southwest of the Mons Argaeus mountain rise and northeast of the larger crater Plinius. The impact feature measures 17.6 kilometers in diameter and retains a sharp rim with a slightly flattened oval perimeter. Formed 454 (+171/-132) million years ago during the Copernican period, its steep inner walls remain free from impact erosion.
Detailed examination of the inner rim has identified what appear to be alcoves and channels along the slopes. Planetary scientists hypothesize that micrometeorite impacts along the rim trigger dry landslides, producing a gully-like appearance that resembles features documented along the inner rims of some Martian craters. On the crater floor, a slight central rise sits amid overlapping swirl-like deposits of slumped or fall-back material.
The crater lies 140 kilometers from the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow valley. Spectra of rocks on the crater floor appear comparable to shocked norites collected by the Apollo 17 crew, suggesting the material may be ejecta from that impact. Observers have also recorded several instances of lunar transient phenomena associated with Dawes.