Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent Volatile-Related Activity

Details Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent Volatile-Related Activity Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent Volatile-Related Activity

Sep 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011sci...333.1856b&link_type=abstract

Science, Volume 333, Issue 6051, pp. 1856- (2011).

Physics

12

Scientific paper

High-resolution images of Mercury’s surface from orbit reveal that many bright deposits within impact craters exhibit fresh-appearing, irregular, shallow, rimless depressions. The depressions, or hollows, range from tens of meters to a few kilometers across, and many have high-reflectance interiors and halos. The host rocks, which are associated with crater central peaks, peak rings, floors, and walls, are interpreted to have been excavated from depth by the crater-forming process. The most likely formation mechanisms for the hollows involve recent loss of volatiles through some combination of sublimation, space weathering, outgassing, or pyroclastic volcanism. These features support the inference that Mercury’s interior contains higher abundances of volatile materials than predicted by most scenarios for the formation of the solar system’s innermost planet.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent Volatile-Related Activity does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent Volatile-Related Activity, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent Volatile-Related Activity will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1460285