Flood Volcanism in the Northern High Latitudes of Mercury Revealed by MESSENGER

Head, James W. and Chapman, Clark R. and Strom, Robert G. and Fassett, Caleb I. and Denevi, Brett W. and Blewett, David T. and Ernst, Carolyn M. and Watters, Thomas R. and Solomon, Sean C. and Murchie, Scott L. and Prockter, Louise M. and Chabot, Nancy L. and Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey J. and Whitten , Jennifer L. and Goudge, Timothy A. and Baker, David M. H. and Hurwitz , Debra M. and Ostrach, Lillian R. and Xiao, Zhiyong and Merline, William J. and Kerber, Laura and Dickson, James L. and Oberst, Jürgen and Byrne, Paul K. and Klimczak, Christian and Nittler, Larry R. (2011) Flood Volcanism in the Northern High Latitudes of Mercury Revealed by MESSENGER. Science, 333 (6051), pp. 1853-1856. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). doi: 10.1126/science.1211997.

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6051/1853

Abstract

MESSENGER observations from Mercury orbit reveal that a large contiguous expanse of smooth plains covers much of Mercury’s high northern latitudes and occupies more than 6% of the planet’s surface area. These plains are smooth, embay other landforms, are distinct in color, show several flow features, and partially or completely bury impact craters, the sizes of which indicate plains thicknesses of more than 1 kilometer and multiple phases of emplacement. These characteristics, as well as associated features, interpreted to have formed by thermal erosion, indicate emplacement in a flood-basalt style, consistent with x-ray spectrometric data indicating surface compositions intermediate between those of basalts and komatiites. The plains formed after the Caloris impact basin, confirming that volcanism was a globally extensive process in Mercury’s post–heavy bombardment era.

Item URL in elib:

https://elib.dlr.de/73584/

Document Type:

Article

Title:

Flood Volcanism in the Northern High Latitudes of Mercury Revealed by MESSENGER

Authors:

Authors	Institution or Email of Authors	Author's ORCID iD	ORCID Put Code
Head, James W.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Chapman, Clark R.	Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Strom, Robert G.	Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Fassett, Caleb I.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Denevi, Brett W.	The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Blewett, David T.	The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ernst, Carolyn M.	The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Watters, Thomas R.	Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Solomon, Sean C.	Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Murchie, Scott L.	The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Prockter, Louise M.	The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Chabot, Nancy L.	The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey J.	Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Whitten , Jennifer L.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Goudge, Timothy A.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Baker, David M. H.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Hurwitz , Debra M.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ostrach, Lillian R.	School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Xiao, Zhiyong	Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA ; Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China..	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Merline, William J.	Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Kerber, Laura	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Dickson, James L.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Oberst, Jürgen	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Byrne, Paul K.	Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Klimczak, Christian	Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Nittler, Larry R.	Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED

Date:

30 September 2011

Journal or Publication Title:

Science

Refereed publication:

Yes

Open Access:

Gold Open Access:

In SCOPUS:

Yes

In ISI Web of Science:

Yes

Volume:

333

DOI:

10.1126/science.1211997

Page Range:

pp. 1853-1856

Publisher:

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Status:

Published

Keywords:

Mercury, Messenger, Volcanism

HGF - Research field:

Aeronautics, Space and Transport

HGF - Program:

Space

HGF - Program Themes:

Space Exploration

DLR - Research area:

Raumfahrt

DLR - Program:

R EW - Space Exploration

DLR - Research theme (Project):

R - Exploration of the Solar System

Location:

Berlin-Adlershof

Institutes and Institutions:

Institute of Planetary Research > Planetary Geodesy

Deposited By:

Wählisch, Marita

Deposited On:

10 Jan 2012 12:19

Last Modified:

08 Mar 2018 18:50

Repository Staff Only: item control page