TY - JOUR
T1 - Multispectral images of Mercury from the first MESSENGER flyby
T2 - Analysis of global and regional color trends
AU - Blewett, David T.
AU - Robinson, Mark
AU - Denevi, Brett W.
AU - Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey J.
AU - Head, James W.
AU - Solomon, Sean C.
AU - Holsclaw, Gregory M.
AU - McClintock, William E.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work made use of the Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS), developed and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Team. Jenna Hartin assisted with data processing and figure preparation. The authors are grateful for support from NASA, including the MESSENGER Participating Scientist Program and Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program. Helpful reviews of this paper were received from Bruce Hapke and Jeffrey R. Johnson. This is HIGP publication number 1708 and SOEST contribution 7632.
PY - 2009/8/15
Y1 - 2009/8/15
N2 - We have analyzed MESSENGER multispectral images of Mercury in order to gain information on the nature of materials present on the planet's surface. The quantitative analysis tools of Lucey, which are built on the Hapke conceptual framework for the reflectance of a silicate regolith, allow us to derive spectral parameter images that are sensitive to the abundance of ferrous iron in silicates, the abundance of opaque phases, and the state of maturity of the surface. Consistent with previous estimates, we conclude that the silicate portion of Mercury's surface is low in ferrous iron, with a small range of variation. The spectral changes that accompany regolith maturation on Mercury are consistent with lunar-style space weathering via the accumulation of nanophase iron. The spectral character of Mercury's major surface units (high-reflectance plains, intermediate terrain, and low-reflectance material) can be attributed to variations in the abundance of an opaque phase(s). A class of minor color unit, the red spots, occurs in at least three morphological varieties, two of which are associated with deposits interpreted to be of pyroclastic origin. The bright crater floor deposits, a second type of minor unit, have extremely shallow ("blue") spectral slopes that are unrelated to the presence of immature material.
AB - We have analyzed MESSENGER multispectral images of Mercury in order to gain information on the nature of materials present on the planet's surface. The quantitative analysis tools of Lucey, which are built on the Hapke conceptual framework for the reflectance of a silicate regolith, allow us to derive spectral parameter images that are sensitive to the abundance of ferrous iron in silicates, the abundance of opaque phases, and the state of maturity of the surface. Consistent with previous estimates, we conclude that the silicate portion of Mercury's surface is low in ferrous iron, with a small range of variation. The spectral changes that accompany regolith maturation on Mercury are consistent with lunar-style space weathering via the accumulation of nanophase iron. The spectral character of Mercury's major surface units (high-reflectance plains, intermediate terrain, and low-reflectance material) can be attributed to variations in the abundance of an opaque phase(s). A class of minor color unit, the red spots, occurs in at least three morphological varieties, two of which are associated with deposits interpreted to be of pyroclastic origin. The bright crater floor deposits, a second type of minor unit, have extremely shallow ("blue") spectral slopes that are unrelated to the presence of immature material.
KW - MESSENGER
KW - Mercury (planet)
KW - multispectral imaging
KW - reflectance spectroscopy
KW - surface composition
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U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2009.02.021
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2009.02.021
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:69049091866
SN - 0012-821X
VL - 285
SP - 272
EP - 282
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
IS - 3-4
ER -