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Science 4 July 2008:
Vol. 321. no. 5885, pp. 69 - 72
DOI: 10.1126/science.1159256
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Reports

Volcanism on Mercury: Evidence from the First MESSENGER Flyby

James W. Head,1* Scott L. Murchie,2 Louise M. Prockter,2 Mark S. Robinson,3 Sean C. Solomon,4 Robert G. Strom,5 Clark R. Chapman,6 Thomas R. Watters,7 William E. McClintock,8 David T. Blewett,2 Jeffrey J. Gillis-Davis9

The origin of plains on Mercury, whether by volcanic flooding or impact ejecta ponding, has been controversial since the Mariner 10 flybys (1974–75). High-resolution images (down to 150 meters per pixel) obtained during the first MESSENGER flyby show evidence for volcanic vents around the Caloris basin inner margin and demonstrate that plains were emplaced sequentially inside and adjacent to numerous large impact craters, to thicknesses in excess of several kilometers. Radial graben and a floor-fractured crater may indicate intrusive activity. These observations, coupled with additional evidence from color images and impact crater size-frequency distributions, support a volcanic origin for several regions of plains and substantiate the important role of volcanism in the geological history of Mercury.

1 Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
2 Johns Hopkins University Applied PhysicsLaboratory, Laurel, MD20723, USA.
3 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
4 Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.
5 Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
6 Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
7 Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA.
8 Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
9 Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: James_Head{at}brown.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
The Evolution of Mercury's Crust: A Global Perspective from MESSENGER.
B. W. Denevi, M. S. Robinson, S. C. Solomon, S. L. Murchie, D. T. Blewett, D. L. Domingue, T. J. McCoy, C. M. Ernst, J. W. Head, T. R. Watters, et al. (2009)
Science 324, 613-618
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evolution of the Rembrandt Impact Basin on Mercury.
T. R. Watters, J. W. Head, S. C. Solomon, M. S. Robinson, C. R. Chapman, B. W. Denevi, C. I. Fassett, S. L. Murchie, and R. G. Strom (2009)
Science 324, 618-621
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Return to Mercury: A Global Perspective on MESSENGER's First Mercury Flyby.
S. C. Solomon, R. L. McNutt Jr., T. R. Watters, D. J. Lawrence, W. C. Feldman, J. W. Head, S. M. Krimigis, S. L. Murchie, R. J. Phillips, J. A. Slavin, et al. (2008)
Science 321, 59-62
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Reflectance and Color Variations on Mercury: Regolith Processes and Compositional Heterogeneity.
M. S. Robinson, S. L. Murchie, D. T. Blewett, D. L. Domingue, S. E. Hawkins III, J. W. Head, G. M. Holsclaw, W. E. McClintock, T. J. McCoy, R. L. McNutt Jr., et al. (2008)
Science 321, 66-69
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Geology of the Caloris Basin, Mercury: A View from MESSENGER.
S. L. Murchie, T. R. Watters, M. S. Robinson, J. W. Head, R. G. Strom, C. R. Chapman, S. C. Solomon, W. E. McClintock, L. M. Prockter, D. L. Domingue, et al. (2008)
Science 321, 73-76
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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