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Global tectonics of Mercury and the moon

1977; Elsevier BV; Volume: 15; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0031-9201(77)90027-9

1872-7395

Bruce Cordell, R. G. Strom,

Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

Lobate scarps on Mercury have been studied to determine the nature of the surface stress history and implications for the planet's early tectonic history. Morphologic and transection relations indicate that most Mercurian scarps are tectonic in nature and are due to compressive stresses in the surface layer. The azimuthal distribution of lobate-scarp trends is compatible with an early predominantly compressive global stress field due to thermal shrinkage of the planet. Superposition relations indicate that the contractive phase was largely a pre-Caloris process. The effects of stresses due to planetary despinning were either negligible, predate the scarps, or were largely obscured by cratering or volcanism. The tectonic history of Mercury as recorded in the lobate scarps is different from that which caused the system of lineaments on the moon.