Geology of the caloris basin, mercury: A view from MESSENGER

Scott L. Murchie; Thomas R. Watters; Mark Robinson; James W. Head; Robert G. Strom; Clark R. Chapman; Sean C. Solomon; William E. McClintock; Louise M. Prockter; Deborah L. Domingue; David T. Blewett

doi:10.1126/science.1159261

Geology of the caloris basin, mercury: A view from MESSENGER

Scott L. Murchie, Thomas R. Watters, Mark Robinson, James W. Head, Robert G. Strom, Clark R. Chapman, Sean C. Solomon, William E. McClintock, Louise M. Prockter, Deborah L. Domingue, David T. Blewett

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

137 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Caloris basin, the youngest known large impact basin on Mercury, is revealed in MESSENGER images to be modified by volcanism and deformation in a manner distinct from that of lunar impact basins. The morphology and spatial distribution of basin materials themselves closely match lunar counterparts. Evidence for a volcanic origin of the basin's interior plains includes embayed craters on the basin floor and diffuse deposits surrounding rimless depressions interpreted to be of pyroclastic origin. Unlike lunar maria, the volcanic plains in Caloris are higher in albedo than surrounding basin materials and lack spectral evidence for ferrous iron-bearing silicates. Tectonic landforms, contractional wrinkle ridges and extensional troughs, have distributions and age relations different from their counterparts in and around lunar basins, indicating a different stress history.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	73-76
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	321
Issue number	5885
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1159261
State	Published - Jul 4 2008

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title = "Geology of the caloris basin, mercury: A view from MESSENGER",

abstract = "The Caloris basin, the youngest known large impact basin on Mercury, is revealed in MESSENGER images to be modified by volcanism and deformation in a manner distinct from that of lunar impact basins. The morphology and spatial distribution of basin materials themselves closely match lunar counterparts. Evidence for a volcanic origin of the basin's interior plains includes embayed craters on the basin floor and diffuse deposits surrounding rimless depressions interpreted to be of pyroclastic origin. Unlike lunar maria, the volcanic plains in Caloris are higher in albedo than surrounding basin materials and lack spectral evidence for ferrous iron-bearing silicates. Tectonic landforms, contractional wrinkle ridges and extensional troughs, have distributions and age relations different from their counterparts in and around lunar basins, indicating a different stress history.",

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T2 - A view from MESSENGER

AU - Murchie, Scott L.

AU - Watters, Thomas R.

AU - Robinson, Mark

AU - Head, James W.

AU - Strom, Robert G.

AU - Chapman, Clark R.

AU - Solomon, Sean C.

AU - McClintock, William E.

AU - Prockter, Louise M.

AU - Domingue, Deborah L.

AU - Blewett, David T.

PY - 2008/7/4

Y1 - 2008/7/4

N2 - The Caloris basin, the youngest known large impact basin on Mercury, is revealed in MESSENGER images to be modified by volcanism and deformation in a manner distinct from that of lunar impact basins. The morphology and spatial distribution of basin materials themselves closely match lunar counterparts. Evidence for a volcanic origin of the basin's interior plains includes embayed craters on the basin floor and diffuse deposits surrounding rimless depressions interpreted to be of pyroclastic origin. Unlike lunar maria, the volcanic plains in Caloris are higher in albedo than surrounding basin materials and lack spectral evidence for ferrous iron-bearing silicates. Tectonic landforms, contractional wrinkle ridges and extensional troughs, have distributions and age relations different from their counterparts in and around lunar basins, indicating a different stress history.

AB - The Caloris basin, the youngest known large impact basin on Mercury, is revealed in MESSENGER images to be modified by volcanism and deformation in a manner distinct from that of lunar impact basins. The morphology and spatial distribution of basin materials themselves closely match lunar counterparts. Evidence for a volcanic origin of the basin's interior plains includes embayed craters on the basin floor and diffuse deposits surrounding rimless depressions interpreted to be of pyroclastic origin. Unlike lunar maria, the volcanic plains in Caloris are higher in albedo than surrounding basin materials and lack spectral evidence for ferrous iron-bearing silicates. Tectonic landforms, contractional wrinkle ridges and extensional troughs, have distributions and age relations different from their counterparts in and around lunar basins, indicating a different stress history.

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Geology of the caloris basin, mercury: A view from MESSENGER

Abstract

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