Insights into the subsurface structure of the Caloris basin, Mercury, from assessments of mechanical layering and changes in long‐wavelength topography

Klimczak, C.; Ernst, C. M.; Byrne, P. K.; Solomon, Sean C.; Watters, T. R.; Murchie, S. L.; Preusker, Frank; Balcerski, J. A.

doi:10.1002/jgre.20157

Cited by 36 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 85 publications

(135 reference statements)

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“…2 are consistent with this pattern. However, the amplitude of dynamic topography predicted by models with these patterns is one to two orders of magnitude 43 below that of observed undulations 41 . The origin of Mercury's long-wavelength warping thus remains unclear.…”

Section: Kinematics Of Shortening-related Deformationmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…However, the horizontal strains accommodated by folds of such observed wavelengths and amplitudes may be of the order of 10 −5 (ref. 41), so their contribution to planetary radius change would be minor compared with that of the faultrelated structures. Such buckling on Earth and presumably Mercury requires compressional stresses that substantially exceed the elastic strength of the lithosphere.…”

Section: Kinematics Of Shortening-related Deformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The origin of Mercury's long-wavelength warping thus remains unclear. Whatever the provenance of these undulations, an important additional observation is that in several instances the warping seems to postdate the emplacement of the youngest expanses of smooth plains on Mercury 41 (that is, the northern and Caloris interior plains). This relation indicates that long-wavelength modification of the planet's topography occurred more recently than 3.8 Gyr ago 41 -placing an important temporal constraint on the causal mechanism(s) responsible.…”

Section: Kinematics Of Shortening-related Deformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mercury’s global contraction much greater than earlier estimates

et al. 2014

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Mercury, a planet with a lithosphere that forms a single tectonic plate, is replete with tectonic structures interpreted to be the result of planetary cooling and contraction. However, the amount of global contraction inferred from spacecraft images has been far lower than that predicted by models of the thermal evolution of the planet's interior. Here we present a synthesis of the global contraction of Mercury from orbital observations acquired by the MESSENGER spacecraft. We show that Mercury's global contraction has been accommodated by a substantially greater number and variety of structures than previously recognized, including long belts of ridges and scarps where the crust has been folded and faulted. The tectonic features on Mercury are consistent with models for large-scale deformation proposed for a globally contracting Earth-now obsolete-that pre-date plate tectonics theory. We find that Mercury has contracted radially by as much as 7 km, well in excess of the 0.8-3 km previously reported from photogeology and resolving the discrepancy with thermal models. Our findings provide a key constraint for studies of Mercury's thermal history, bulk silicate abundances of heat-producing elements, mantle convection and the structure of its large metallic core.G lobal contraction as a result of interior cooling was invoked as an explanation for mountain building and tectonic deformation on Earth in the nineteenth century 1,2 , but the idea was abandoned even before the recognition of the horizontal mobility of tectonic plates 3 , with the realization that contraction cannot account for the amount, style and distribution of deformation on the Earth's surface 4 . Large-scale deformational systems on Earth are localized along plate margins, unlike the quasihomogenous distribution of shortening structures predicted for a contracting planet 3 . However, other worlds in the Solar System do not exhibit plate tectonics today, so the intriguing possibility exists that some of the old concepts of contraction theory for global tectonics, long obsolete for Earth, may be valid for one-plate planets. Mercury, in particular, displays no evidence of plate boundaries that segment its globally continuous lithosphere. Yet observations made by the Mariner 10 and MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft have shown that the innermost planet displays myriad landforms-lobate scarps, wrinkle ridges and high-relief ridges-that have been interpreted as the tectonic result of horizontal shortening of the lithosphere as Mercury contracted in response to secular cooling of its interior 5-9 . Still, important details of Mercury's contraction, such as the timing, duration and spatial concentration of surface deformation, have remained elusive. Until the MESSENGER flybys of Mercury in [2008][2009], an entire hemisphere of Mercury had yet to be imaged, so inferences made on the basis of Mariner 10 data could not reliably be generalized globally. Furthermore, widespread topographic data for the planet we...

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Section: Kinematics Of Shortening-related Deformationmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Kinematics Of Shortening-related Deformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Kinematics Of Shortening-related Deformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mercury’s global contraction much greater than earlier estimates

et al. 2014

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“…This peculiar distribution of the pyroclastic deposits may reflect their relatively young age [ Thomas et al , ] with respect to the effusive volcanism that fills the entire basin [ Ernst et al , ]. In fact, the subsurface structure of the Caloris basin should have many faults that penetrate deeper into the interior of Mercury at the edge of the basin [ Klimczak et al , ], thus favoring a deeper source for explosive volcanism, as often suggested for the Moon [ Gaddis et al , ]. Klimczak et al [] also suggests that the center part of Caloris, Pantheon Fossae, is most likely to have been formed as the result of doming in the central part, probably caused by a magma chamber.…”

Section: Mercury's Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectroscopic properties of explosive volcanism within the Caloris basin with MESSENGER observations

2015

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Volcanism on Mercury has been indisputably identified at various locations on the surface, by means of both effusive and explosive volcanism. Its characterization is crucial to understand the evolution of the planet, in particular the thermal evolution of the mantle, and the volatile content of the planet. This analysis presents a detailed view of the pyroclastic deposits of the Caloris basin. Observations from the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) are used to understand the spectral characteristics of the pyroclastic deposits, both in the visible and near‐infrared. Additional calibration steps are proposed to reconcile the difference of absolute reflectance between the visible (VIS) and near‐infrared (NIR) detectors. These calibration steps allow the use of the full spectral range of the MASCS instrument. Pyroclastic deposits exhibit a redder spectral slope in the VIS and NIR. This spectral slope diminishes toward the edge of the deposits to match that of Mercury's average surface. Spectral properties in the ultraviolet (UV) also change as a function of distance to the vent. Only the UV properties unambiguously separate the pyroclastic deposits from Mercury's average spectra. The spectral variations are consistent with a lower iron content of the pyroclastic deposits with respect to the average surface of Mercury, similar to what has been proposed for pyrolcastic deposits on the lunar surface. Nonetheless, given the limited illumination conditions diversity of the MASCS instrument, other causes such as grain size, space weathering, and bulk composition could also be accounted for the spectral variations. Variability of the pyroclastic deposits' properties within the entire basin are potentially identified between the three main clusters, and could be related to space weathering of deposits of different ages.

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“…They interpreted this to be a volcanic construct (Prockter et al, 2010). Smooth plains materials in and around Caloris basin are also interpreted to be volcanic ; recent studies Klimczak et al, 2013) suggest that the volcanic fill within the Caloris basin is about 2.5-4.0 km thick.…”

Section: Mercury Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 94%

Planetary Tectonics and Volcanism: The Inner Solar System

Gregg

2015

Treatise on Geophysics

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Insights into the subsurface structure of the Caloris basin, Mercury, from assessments of mechanical layering and changes in long‐wavelength topography

Cited by 36 publications

References 85 publications

Mercury’s global contraction much greater than earlier estimates

Mercury’s global contraction much greater than earlier estimates

Spectroscopic properties of explosive volcanism within the Caloris basin with MESSENGER observations

Planetary Tectonics and Volcanism: The Inner Solar System

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