Topography of lobate scarps on Mercury: New constraints on the planet's contraction

Thomas R. Watters; Mark S. Robinson; Anthony C. Cook

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2

Topography of lobate scarps on Mercury: New constraints on the planet's contraction

Thomas R. Watters^*, Mark S. Robinson, Anthony C. Cook

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

105 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Lobate scarps are landforms on Mercury that appear to have formed by thrust faulting and are thought to reflect global contraction due to cooling of the planet's interior. Topographic data for 10 mercurian lobate scarps, derived from Mariner 10 images using photoclinometry and digital stereoanalysis, indicate a range in maximum relief of 0.1 to 1.5 km and a range in horizontal shortening of 0.3 to 3.2 km, assuming fault-plane dips (θ) of 25°. Previous estimates of cumulative compressional strain recorded in the lobate scarps suggest a decrease in Mercury's radius of 1 to 2 km. Our estimate of compressional strain based on these new topographic measurements is ~0.056% (θ = 25°). This suggests that Mercury's radius decreased by <1 km.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	991-994
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geology
Volume	26
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2
Publication status	Published - Nov 1998

Access to Document

10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2

Permanent link

Persistent link

Cite this

@article{a46bf6e02a084600b83cacca2410a2a3,

title = "Topography of lobate scarps on Mercury: New constraints on the planet's contraction",

abstract = "Lobate scarps are landforms on Mercury that appear to have formed by thrust faulting and are thought to reflect global contraction due to cooling of the planet's interior. Topographic data for 10 mercurian lobate scarps, derived from Mariner 10 images using photoclinometry and digital stereoanalysis, indicate a range in maximum relief of 0.1 to 1.5 km and a range in horizontal shortening of 0.3 to 3.2 km, assuming fault-plane dips (θ) of 25°. Previous estimates of cumulative compressional strain recorded in the lobate scarps suggest a decrease in Mercury's radius of 1 to 2 km. Our estimate of compressional strain based on these new topographic measurements is ~0.056% (θ = 25°). This suggests that Mercury's radius decreased by <1 km.",

author = "Watters, {Thomas R.} and Robinson, {Mark S.} and Cook, {Anthony C.}",

year = "1998",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2",

language = "English",

volume = "26",

pages = "991--994",

journal = "Geology",

issn = "0091-7613",

publisher = "Geological Society of America",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Topography of lobate scarps on Mercury

T2 - New constraints on the planet's contraction

AU - Watters, Thomas R.

AU - Robinson, Mark S.

AU - Cook, Anthony C.

PY - 1998/11

Y1 - 1998/11

N2 - Lobate scarps are landforms on Mercury that appear to have formed by thrust faulting and are thought to reflect global contraction due to cooling of the planet's interior. Topographic data for 10 mercurian lobate scarps, derived from Mariner 10 images using photoclinometry and digital stereoanalysis, indicate a range in maximum relief of 0.1 to 1.5 km and a range in horizontal shortening of 0.3 to 3.2 km, assuming fault-plane dips (θ) of 25°. Previous estimates of cumulative compressional strain recorded in the lobate scarps suggest a decrease in Mercury's radius of 1 to 2 km. Our estimate of compressional strain based on these new topographic measurements is ~0.056% (θ = 25°). This suggests that Mercury's radius decreased by <1 km.

AB - Lobate scarps are landforms on Mercury that appear to have formed by thrust faulting and are thought to reflect global contraction due to cooling of the planet's interior. Topographic data for 10 mercurian lobate scarps, derived from Mariner 10 images using photoclinometry and digital stereoanalysis, indicate a range in maximum relief of 0.1 to 1.5 km and a range in horizontal shortening of 0.3 to 3.2 km, assuming fault-plane dips (θ) of 25°. Previous estimates of cumulative compressional strain recorded in the lobate scarps suggest a decrease in Mercury's radius of 1 to 2 km. Our estimate of compressional strain based on these new topographic measurements is ~0.056% (θ = 25°). This suggests that Mercury's radius decreased by <1 km.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874975780&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2

DO - 10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84874975780

SN - 0091-7613

VL - 26

SP - 991

EP - 994

JO - Geology

JF - Geology

IS - 11

ER -

Topography of lobate scarps on Mercury: New constraints on the planet's contraction

Abstract

Access to Document

Permanent link

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this