A new look at the planet Mercury

Solomon, Sean C.

doi:10.1063/1.3541945

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, the first spacecraft to conduct a protracted investigation of Mercury, revolutionized knowledge of the planet's geology, geochemistry, interior structure, and space environment [e.g., Solomon , ]. One of the key results from the mission was the discovery of surface features called hollows [ Blewett et al ., , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of MESSENGER high‐resolution images of Mercury's hollows and implications for hollow formation

Blewett

Stadermann²,

Susorney

et al. 2016

JGR Planets

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High‐resolution images from MESSENGER provide morphological information on the nature and origin of Mercury's hollows, small depressions that likely formed when a volatile constituent was lost from the surface. Because graphite may be a component of the low‐reflectance material that hosts hollows, we suggest that loss of carbon by ion sputtering or conversion to methane by proton irradiation could contribute to hollows formation. Measurements of widespread hollows in 565 images with pixel scales <20 m indicate that the average depth of hollows is 24 ± 16 m. We propose that hollows cease to increase in depth when a volatile‐depleted lag deposit becomes sufficiently thick to protect the underlying surface. The difficulty of developing a lag on steep topography may account for the common occurrence of hollows on crater central peaks and walls. Disruption of the lag, e.g., by secondary cratering, could restart growth of hollows in a location that had been dormant. Images at extremely high resolution (~3 m/pixel) show that the edges of hollows are straight, as expected if the margins formed by scarp retreat. These highest‐resolution images reveal no superposed impact craters, implying that hollows are very young. The width of hollows within rayed crater Balanchine suggests that the maximum time for lateral growth by 1 cm is ~10,000 yr. A process other than entrainment of dust by gases evolved in a steady‐state sublimation‐like process is likely required to explain the high‐reflectance haloes that surround many hollows.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of MESSENGER high‐resolution images of Mercury's hollows and implications for hollow formation

Blewett

Stadermann²,

Susorney

et al. 2016

JGR Planets

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…On 18 March 2011 the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft entered orbit about Mercury and began the primary phase of its mission. Prior to orbit insertion the spacecraft completed three flybys of the innermost planet in 2008 and 2009 [ McNutt et al , 2010; Solomon , 2011]. There were no energetic (energy E > 35 keV) particles detected by the MESSENGER Energetic Particle Spectrometer (EPS) during any of the three flybys [ Ho et al , 2011a].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial distribution and spectral characteristics of energetic electrons in Mercury's magnetosphere

Krimigis

Gold

et al. 2012

J. Geophys. Res.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] The Energetic Particle Spectrometer (EPS) on the MESSENGER spacecraft, in orbit about Mercury since March 2011, has detected bursts of low-and moderate-energy (tens to hundreds of keV) electrons during portions of most orbits. There have been periods when such bursts were observed regularly on every orbit over a span of several weeks, and other periods when electrons were not observed for several days at a time. We have systematically characterized these energetic events on the basis of particle intensity over the 12-month period since MESSENGER began orbital operations. Now that MESSENGER has sampled most Mercury longitudes and local times, it is evident that the largest burst events were either at high northern latitudes or near local midnight. Lower-energy events were also seen near the equator but were mostly absent in both the dawn and dusk local time sectors. The high-latitude and nightside events are similar in particle intensity, spectra, and pitch angle and are interpreted to be the result of acceleration by the same mechanism. Another group of events occurred upstream of Mercury's bow shock. For two examples of this group of upstream events with good pitch angle coverage, the particles were field-aligned and traveling away from the bow shock. This group of events is interpreted to be similar to upstream events found at Earth during which particles are accelerated at the bow shock and subsequently travel upstream into the solar wind.

show abstract

“…The fault scarp in the upper right hand corner is calculated by the Mercury Laser Altimeter to have a topographic relief of ~1.4 km (http://messenger.jhuapl.edu) (cf. Solomon, 2011). area available for analysis due to lack of fi nancial constraints.…”

Section: Suitable Research Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Channel widths, landslides, faults, and beyond: The new world order of high-spatial resolution Google Earth imagery in the study of earth surface processes

Fisher¹,

Amos²,

Bookhagen³

et al. 2012

Google Earth and Virtual Visualizations in Geoscience Education and Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

International audienceThe past decade has seen a rapid increase in the application of high-resolution imagery and geographic-based information systems across every segment of society from security intelligence to product marketing to scientific research. Google Earth has positioned itself at the forefront of this spatial information wave by providing free access to high-resolution imagery through a simple, user-friendly interface. Whereas Google Earth imagery has been widely exploited across the earth sciences for spatial visualization, education, and place-based searches, few studies have utilized the high-resolution imagery to yield quantitative insights about the processes and mechanisms acting at the earth's surface. In this paper, we detail the benefits of the underlying high-resolution imagery available within Google Earth, review the limited published research to date, and utilize this imagery to quantitatively illuminate previously difficult and unresolved questions within the discipline of geomorphology involving: (1) channel-width variability and scaling relations in the tectonically active Himalaya; (2) landslide characteristics related to large magnitude climatic and tectonic events in Haiti; and (3) identification and quantification of laterally offset geomorphic features within eastern California. In each example, we compare analyses using freely available Google Earth imagery with standard imagery and techniques (e.g., Landsat, ASTER, lidar) to demonstrate the potential benefits of using high-spatial resolution Google Earth imagery over established methodologies. In addition, we discuss the potential limitations and problems with using the imagery currently available in Google Earth and propose favorable future applications, namely studies in remote terrains and those requiring high-resolution imagery across a large spatial extent, where purchasing such imagery in an academic environment would be cost-prohibitive. Whether as a supplement, for reconnaissance, or as the primary data set, high-resolution Google Earth imagery, when properly applied, holds great promise for quantitatively tackling previously unresolved problems in the study of earth surface processes

show abstract

A new look at the planet Mercury

Abstract: MESSENGER spacecraft goes into orbit around Mercury in March 2011, but its three flybys have already offered a fresh perspective on the planet’s history, composition, and magnetic field.

Cited by 14 publications

References 12 publications

Analysis of MESSENGER high‐resolution images of Mercury's hollows and implications for hollow formation

Analysis of MESSENGER high‐resolution images of Mercury's hollows and implications for hollow formation

Spatial distribution and spectral characteristics of energetic electrons in Mercury's magnetosphere

Channel widths, landslides, faults, and beyond: The new world order of high-spatial resolution Google Earth imagery in the study of earth surface processes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About