Evidence for a Basalt-Free Surface on Mercury and Implications for Internal Heat
- 9 June 1995
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 268 (5216) , 1455-1457
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7770770
Abstract
Microwave and mid-infrared observations reveal that Mercury's surface contains less FeO + TiO2 and at least as much feldspar as the lunar highlands. The results are compatible with the high albedo (brightness) of Mercury's surface at visible wavelengths in suggesting a rock and soil composition that is devoid of basalt, the primary differentiate of terrestrial mantles. The occurrence of a basalt-free, highly differentiated crust is in accord with recent models of the planet's thermal evolution and suggests that Mercury has retained a hot interior as a result of a combination of inefficient mantle convection and minimal volcanic heat loss.Keywords
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