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Landforms on Mercury’s surface provide evidence that the planet’s crust may have shrunk at some point. Lobate scarps are characterized by their lengthy and winding cliff faces. It would appear that these scarps are the surface manifestation of thrust faults, which occur when the crust is fractured along an inclined plane and then forced upward.
Which of the following is most likely the cause of the scarps found on Mercury’s surface?
It is likely that the planet contracted as it cooled, giving rise to the scarps that can be seen on Mercury’s surface. These had to have formed quite late in Mercury’s history, after the lava flows had stopped, and after the globe had consolidated to a significant depth beneath the surface of the planet.
What led to the formation of the craters that can be found on Mercury’s surface?
The meteorites that created the impact craters on Mercury crashed against the planet’s surface over 4 billion years ago, during the early stages of the development of the solar system. The comparatively flat plains that can be found between craters are an indication that, at one point in time, the surface was probably volcanic. This is because lava flows filled in the gaps left behind by massive objects when they collided with the surface.
It is hypothesized that cliffs and scarps formed on Mercury by the following process:
The fact that the scarps cut across many craters lends credence to the hypothesis that they originated after the majority of the meteoric bombardment had ceased…. Its iron core shrank as it cooled, which caused scarps to form all over the surface of the planet. There is no indication that maria once existed on Mercury.
What do you call the feature that developed on the surface of Mercury as a result of basaltic lava contracting and cooling as it traveled across the planet?
The fault develops as a result of contraction, which makes it possible for material to move from above the fault over material that is located below the fault. Mercury experienced a cooling and contracting period, as shown by the scarps, which caused its diameter to decrease by almost 7 kilometers. Images taken by MESSENGER have revealed a significant number of wrinkle ridges and lobate scarps.
The National Geographic Guide to Mercury 101
27 questions found in related categories
What kinds of features can be found on Mercury’s surface?
Mercury’s terrain can be broken down into three primary categories of topography: Maria-like plains that are similar to those on the Moon. Intercrater plains, which are riddled with numerous insignificant craters and occupy approximately 70 percent of the surface that we have investigated, rocky uplands that have some similarities to the analogous regions on the Moon in terms of their appearance.
What can be found on the surface of Mercury?
The surface contains a significant amount of sulfur and is approximately 20 times more abundant in sulfur than the surfaces of Earth, the Moon, and Mars combined. Titanium and iron were discovered in quite small amounts near the surface by Messenger. Mercury appears to have developed under conditions that were far more reducing—that is, conditions in which oxygen was scarce—than those that were present during the formation of other terrestrial planets.
What planet has the highest average temperature?
When a planet is farther away from the sun, its average surface temperature has a tendency to drop as a result. The exception to this rule is the planet Venus, which is our solar system’s hottest planet due to its proximity to the sun and its thick atmosphere.
The accurate reason for why it was impossible for humans to breathe on Mars is as follows:
Why was it so difficult to breathe on Mars? Mars’ atmosphere is composed of 95% carbon dioxide, but the atmosphere of Earth only comprises. As a result, the air on Mars is exceedingly thin, and there is not enough oxygen in its atmosphere.
Which planet or other body in the solar system does not have a rocky surface?
The planets that are known as gas giants, like as Jupiter, lack a solid surface that can maintain a record of the impacts that have occurred on the planet.
Which type of spacecraft was the first to visit the planet Mercury?
Mariner 10, which was sent by NASA, was the first spacecraft to visit Mercury. It took pictures of approximately 45% of the planet’s surface. Before finally impacting the planet’s surface at the conclusion of its mission, the MESSENGER spacecraft from NASA completed three flybys of Mercury and orbited the planet for a total of four years.
Why is Venus sometimes referred to as the morning star or the evening star?
What does it mean when Venus is referred to as “the Morning Star” or “the Evening Star”? Due to the fact that Venus emits such a brilliant light, it is the first “star” to become visible in the sky after the Sun has set and the final object to vanish from view before the Sun rises. Because of the shifting nature of its orbital position, it will appear in the sky at various hours of the night throughout the course of a year.
Do you ever get a chance to see Mercury in the midnight sky?
Mercury and Venus are never visible in the sky at midnight because their orbits are contained within that of the Earth, which means that they are located closer to the Sun than we are.
What causes the Moon to periodically shake?
– Shallow moonquakes are earthquakes that occur on the surface of the moon and range in depth from 20 to 30 kilometers. They are most likely created when the crust of the moon slips and fractures as a result of the slow “raising” of the moon as it cools. – The vibrations that are created by meteor impacts, which occur when meteors smash into the surface of the moon.
Why does Mercury have such a huge temperature swing between day and night?
Due to Mercury’s proximity to the Sun, the temperature can reach above 400 degrees Celsius during the day. Mercury loses practically all of its heat throughout the night since there is almost no atmosphere to keep the warmth there, hence the temperature drops to very low levels. The temperature may drop to within a few degrees of -175 degrees Celsius.
Which planet is the only one in the universe that can support life?
As Earth is the only planet known to be capable of supporting life, understanding the circumstances of other planets and whether or not they could be habitable requires some extrapolation.
Why is Venus sometimes referred to as Earth’s sister planet?
Venus is sometimes referred to as Earth’s twin due to the fact that both planets are about the same size, have approximately the same mass (meaning that they weigh approximately the same), and have a fairly similar composition (meaning that they are formed of the same material). In comparison to Earth and the other planets, Venus likewise has a reversed rotational direction.
Which two spacecraft have traveled to the planet Mercury?
To this day, there have been two spacecraft that have been to the planet Mercury. The first one was referred to as the Mariner 10. Mariner 10 made three passes by Mercury between 1974 and 1975, during which time it mapped approximately one-half of the surface of the planet. Mariner 10 was also responsible for the discovery of Mercury’s tenuous atmosphere and the detection of the planet’s magnetic field.
How scorching is the temperature on the side of Mercury that is facing the sun?
Mercury is so close to the sun that its surface temperature can reach a searing 840 degrees Fahrenheit. This is caused by the planet’s proximity to the sun.
On Mercury, how many hours constitute a full day of rotation?
A day on a planet is the amount of time it takes for the planet to complete one rotation or spin on its axis. Because Mercury revolves far more slowly than Earth does, a day on Mercury lasts significantly longer than a day on Earth does. In Mercury, a day lasts for 58.646 Earth days, which is equivalent to 1407.5 hours, while a day on Earth lasts for 23.934 hours.
Can human beings survive on the planet Mercury?
Difficult Environment to Live In
Because of the intense heat and radiation from the sun, it is highly improbable that life as we know it could ever exist on the planet Mercury.
Can you tell me what color the planet Mercury is?
The surface of Mercury is stony and dark gray in color, and it is coated with a substantial coating of dust. It is believed that igneous silicate rocks and dust make up the surface of the planet.
What kind of weather can be expected on Mercury’s surface?
It is common knowledge that the side of the mountain that faces the sun can experience temperatures of 750 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature during the night can drop to nearly -330 degrees Fahrenheit. Mercury has a pleasant annual temperature of 354 degrees Fahrenheit on average.