Nier (Mars)

Named after Alfred O.C. Nier - American physicist (1911-1994).

Alfred Otto Carl Nier was an American physicist who pioneered the development of mass spectrometry. He was the first to use mass spectrometry to isolate uranium-235 which was used to demonstrate that 235U could undergo fission and developed the sector mass spectrometer configuration now known as Nier-Johnson geometry. (wikipedia entry)

A crater is a circular depression likely created by an impact event. On Mars large craters are named after deceased scientists, writers and others who have contributed to the lore of Mars. Small creaters (less than 60km) are named after small towns and villages.