The northern rim has an irregular inner wall, while the southern face is terraced and has a sharper outer edge.

There is some slumping along the rim edge to the southeast, producing outward bulges in the perimeter.

Within the rim, the crater floor is flat and level, at least in comparison to the rugged terrain around the exterior.

Carnot intrudes into the southern rim of the huge walled plain Birkhoff.

[2] By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Carnot.