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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
06:48
Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
Published on: May 10, 2020
Mercury cratering record viewed from MESSENGER's first flyby
Robert G Strom1, Clark R Chapman, William J Merline
1Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. rstrom@lpl.arizona.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 5, 2008
Summary
Mercury
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Geology
- Impact Cratering
Background:
- MESSENGER mission provided new data on Mercury's surface.
- Understanding Mercury's geological history requires analyzing impact cratering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate Mercury's geological history using impact crater morphologies and size-frequency distributions.
- To determine the age and origin of plains units on Mercury.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of impact crater morphologies and size-frequency distributions from MESSENGER flyby data.
- Comparison of crater densities and size distributions with lunar and Martian data.
Main Results:
- Interior plains of Caloris basin have similar ages.
- Exterior smooth plains are volcanic, not impact ejecta, and formed after 3.8 billion years ago.
- Secondary craters dominate over primaries at diameters ≤ 8–10 km on Mercury.
- The peak-ring basin Raditladi may be younger than 1 billion years.
Conclusions:
- Mercury's plains provide insights into its volcanic and impact history.
- The prevalence of secondary craters on Mercury suggests a different impact regime compared to the Moon and Mars.
- The age of Raditladi basin indicates ongoing geological activity.
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