The Mercury Volcanoe Connection
December 10th 2008 07:14
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Mercury’s surface looks very much like our moon. They are both heavily cratered objects, yet there remain a few smooth pained areas. One question posed by the Mariner 10 space craft some 3 decades ago is that the plains on Mercury were formed from slow cooling lava. The Messenger spacecraft captured definitive evidence that the plains were indeed formed by lava and hence found the proof of past volcanic activity.
New images from Messenger showed volcanic vents near the rim of the Caloris basin that had the appearance of a domed volcano. The Caloris basin was an active region of volcanic activity. The basin was caused by enormous impact although the past volcanic activity beneath the basin may also explain the vast troughs that resemble spiders. The molten magma rising to the surface enveloping Mercury’s crust creating the unusual radial formations in the crust.
What is more amazing was that Mercury has some water and a very thin atmosphere. Water was found in the relatively thin atmosphere the possible origin is said to be located on Mercury’s northern polar region.
Earth taken by the Messenger space craft on its way to Mercury
New images from Messenger showed volcanic vents near the rim of the Caloris basin that had the appearance of a domed volcano. The Caloris basin was an active region of volcanic activity. The basin was caused by enormous impact although the past volcanic activity beneath the basin may also explain the vast troughs that resemble spiders. The molten magma rising to the surface enveloping Mercury’s crust creating the unusual radial formations in the crust.
Approaching Mercury
What is more amazing was that Mercury has some water and a very thin atmosphere. Water was found in the relatively thin atmosphere the possible origin is said to be located on Mercury’s northern polar region.
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Comment by Wilson Pon
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The atmosphere on Mercury is tenuous it is remarkable that there is some on the planet given it is very close to the Sun.
The water is in the form of ice located in deep areas on both Polar Regions away from the Sunlight the water has not sublimated.
Early radar echoes of Mercury reveled the existence of bright reflective echoes indicating some form of ice.
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