Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury
Abstract Impact bombardment and global contraction due to planetary cooling have both shaped the surface of Mercury over very long time scales. Landforms associated with these processes, i.e., impact craters and thrust fault‐related escarpments, and their mutual geologic relationships were analyzed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017-04-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072711 |
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| _version_ | 1850134567601569792 |
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| author | Kelsey T. Crane Christian Klimczak |
| author_facet | Kelsey T. Crane Christian Klimczak |
| author_sort | Kelsey T. Crane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Impact bombardment and global contraction due to planetary cooling have both shaped the surface of Mercury over very long time scales. Landforms associated with these processes, i.e., impact craters and thrust fault‐related escarpments, and their mutual geologic relationships were analyzed to gain insight into the temporal relationships between the two. We assess stratigraphic relationships of ~6000 thrust fault‐related landforms with all 20 km diameter and larger craters to statistically evaluate the timing and rate of contraction on Mercury. Geometric probabilities were computed for thrust faults crosscutting craters of different degradation stages that correspond to different time‐stratigraphic systems, which allow determination of the onset and time derivative of global contraction. Results show that this process had begun after the late heavy bombardment of the inner solar system and likely gradually slowed toward the present. Implications arise for thermal history models as well as slip rates and quake recurrence intervals along thrust faults on Mercury. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-45c01fa04dd649e0af94aa9f2569f64b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-45c01fa04dd649e0af94aa9f2569f64b2025-08-20T02:31:41ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072017-04-014473082308910.1002/2017GL072711Timing and rate of global contraction on MercuryKelsey T. Crane0Christian Klimczak1Structural Geology and Geomechanics Group, Department of Geology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USAStructural Geology and Geomechanics Group, Department of Geology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USAAbstract Impact bombardment and global contraction due to planetary cooling have both shaped the surface of Mercury over very long time scales. Landforms associated with these processes, i.e., impact craters and thrust fault‐related escarpments, and their mutual geologic relationships were analyzed to gain insight into the temporal relationships between the two. We assess stratigraphic relationships of ~6000 thrust fault‐related landforms with all 20 km diameter and larger craters to statistically evaluate the timing and rate of contraction on Mercury. Geometric probabilities were computed for thrust faults crosscutting craters of different degradation stages that correspond to different time‐stratigraphic systems, which allow determination of the onset and time derivative of global contraction. Results show that this process had begun after the late heavy bombardment of the inner solar system and likely gradually slowed toward the present. Implications arise for thermal history models as well as slip rates and quake recurrence intervals along thrust faults on Mercury.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072711Mercuryglobal contractionstrainstrain rate |
| spellingShingle | Kelsey T. Crane Christian Klimczak Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury Geophysical Research Letters Mercury global contraction strain strain rate |
| title | Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury |
| title_full | Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury |
| title_fullStr | Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury |
| title_full_unstemmed | Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury |
| title_short | Timing and rate of global contraction on Mercury |
| title_sort | timing and rate of global contraction on mercury |
| topic | Mercury global contraction strain strain rate |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072711 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kelseytcrane timingandrateofglobalcontractiononmercury AT christianklimczak timingandrateofglobalcontractiononmercury |