Depth of faulting and ancient heat flows in the Kuiper region of Mercury from lobate scarp topography

Egea-González, Isabel; Ruíz, Javier; Fernández, Carlos; Williams, J. P.; Márquez, Álvaro; Lara, L. M.

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2011.08.003

Cited by 24 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Planetary radius change globally and by hemisphere. Modeling of lobate scarp thrust faults indicates that they are deeply rooted, likely penetrating the entire mechanical lithosphere 20,23,[41][42][43] . Thus, lobate scarps are the most direct tectonic indicators of lithospheric contractional strain.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A case for limited global contraction of Mercury

Watters

2021

Commun Earth Environ

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Mercury is a one-plate planet that has experienced significant radial contraction primarily driven by interior cooling. In some previous studies aimed at estimating the total magnitude of contraction, numerous faults are assigned to positive relief landforms, many without evidence of origin by deformation, resulting in estimates of planetary radius reduction as large as 7 km. Here we use high-incidence angle image mosaics and topography from the MESSENGER mission to map Mercury’s contractional landforms. Each landform is assigned a single, principal fault, resulting in an amount of contractional strain equivalent to a radius change of no more than 1 to 2 km. A small radius change since the end of heavy bombardment is consistent with Mercury’s long-lived magnetic field and evidence of recent tectonic activity. It is concluded that the retention of interior heat and a lower degree of contraction may be facilitated by the insulating effect of a thick megaregolith.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A case for limited global contraction of Mercury

Watters

2021

Commun Earth Environ

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“…Accurate topography of lobate scarps is critical to constraining models of the geometry and depth of the thrust faults associated with lobate scarps (Watters et al, 2016;Egea-Gonzalez et al, 2012). Estimates of the maximum fault depth can be used infer the mechanical and thermal structure of Mercury's lithosphere (Watters and Nimmo, 2010;Egea-Gonzalez et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussion and Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward high-resolution global topography of Mercury from MESSENGER orbital stereo imaging: A prototype model for the H6 (Kuiper) quadrangle

Preusker

Stark

Oberst

et al. 2017

Planetary and Space Science

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We selected approximately 10,500 Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) and Wide-Angle Camera (WAC) stereo images obtained by the MESSENGER spacecraft during its orbital mission with average resolutions of 150 m/pixel to compute a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) for the so-called H6 quadrangle (Kuiper), extending between 22.5°S to 22.5°N and 288.0°E to 360.0°E. Among the images, we identified about 21,100 stereo image combinations with each combination consisting of at least 3 images. We applied sparse multi-image matching to derive approximately 250,000 tie-points representing 50,000 ground points. We used the tie-points to carry out a photogrammetric block adjustment, which improves the image pointing and the accuracy of (3D) ground points from about 850 m to approximately 55 m. Subsequently, we applied high density (pixelby-pixel) multi-image matching to derive about 45 billion tie-points. Benefitting from improved image pointing data, we compute about 6.3 billion surface points. By interpolation, we generated a DEM with a lateral spacing of 221.7 m/pixel (192 pixels per degree) and a vertical accuracy of about 30 m. The comparison of the DEM with the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) tracks obtained over 4 years of MESSENGER operation reveals that the DEM is geometrically very rigid. It may be used as a reference to identify MLA outliers (when MLA operating at ranging limit) or to map offsets of laser altimeter tracks, presumably caused by residual spacecraft orbit and attitude errors.After the relevant outlier removal and corrections, MLA profiles show excellent agreement with topographic profiles from H6 with root mean square height difference of only 88 m.

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“…A trailing syncline and a frontal syncline are usually present on each side of the anticline (e.g., Grott et al, ; Herrero‐Gil et al, , ; Schultz, ; Schultz & Watters, ). The large thrust faults underlying lobate scarps have been studied and modeled by several authors on different terrestrial bodies like Mars (e.g., Egea‐González et al, ; Grott et al, ; Herrero‐Gil et al, , ; Klimczak et al, ; Mueller et al, ; Ruiz et al, ; Ruj et al, ; Schultz & Watters, ), Mercury (e.g., Crane & Klimczak, ; Egea‐González et al, ; Galluzzi et al, , ; Giacomini et al, ; Semenzato et al, ; Watters et al, ), the Moon (e.g., Byrne et al, ; Williams et al, ), Ceres (Ruiz et al, ), and asteroid 433 Eros (Watters et al, ). These works usually include the study of the timing of faulting and the analysis of the structural parameters that define the fault morphology and kinematics (depth of faulting, dip angle and fault slip), with the final aim of advancing on the knowledge of the tectonic and thermal evolution of these terrestrial bodies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lithospheric Contraction on Mars: A 3D Model of the Amenthes Thrust Fault System

2020

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Amenthes Rupes is the topographic expression of a main fault belonging to a thrust fault system located parallel to the martian dichotomy boundary. A 3D forward model has been applied to the Amenthes thrust fault system, constraining fault geometries at depth, variations of slip along strike, and structural parameters controlling the formation of fault propagation folds. Our results provide a complex 3D view of the tectonic framework of the area, with implications for tectonic evolution, regional shortening distribution, and the main mechanical discontinuities in the lithosphere. The modeled fault surfaces show planar morphologies combined with listric geometries at depth. The obtained depths of faulting for the major faults of this fault system suggest a depth of the brittle‐ductile transition (at the time of formation) of 20–24 km, somewhat shallower than previous estimates for this area. A possible mechanical discontinuity located at 10.5–13 km deep can be deduced from the faulting depths of the secondary faults. The listric geometries at depth imply that slip is transmitted from the decollement, which, together with the inclusion in the model of secondary and subsidiary faults, allow us to estimate the horizontal shortening recorded in this area ranging from 2–3 km up to ~5.5 km in the southeastern part of the fault system. This range increases the previous shortening estimates in this area between ~60% and ~200%. Consequently, global shortening estimates based on global fault maps are biased by the detail of mapping, and shortening would substantially increase if secondary faults were included.

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Depth of faulting and ancient heat flows in the Kuiper region of Mercury from lobate scarp topography

Cited by 24 publications

References 30 publications

A case for limited global contraction of Mercury

A case for limited global contraction of Mercury

Toward high-resolution global topography of Mercury from MESSENGER orbital stereo imaging: A prototype model for the H6 (Kuiper) quadrangle

Lithospheric Contraction on Mars: A 3D Model of the Amenthes Thrust Fault System

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