Scopulus

In planetary geology, a scopulus /ˈskɒpjʊləs/ (pl. scopuli /ˈskɒpjʊlaɪ/, from Greek σκόπελος "peak"^[1]) is a lobate or irregular escarpment.^[2] In the early 1970s, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted scopulus as one of a number of official descriptor terms for topographic features on Mars and other planets and satellites.^[3] One justification for using neutral Latin or Greek descriptors was that it allowed features to be named and described before their geology or geomorphology could be determined.^[4] Currently, the IAU recognizes 54 descriptor terms (see Planetary nomenclature). Thirteen features with the descriptor term scopulus are present on Mars.