NASA discovered tectonic activity on mercury.
Mercury was the second after the Earth planet in the Solar system, which there is tectonic activity. Dedicated to this research geophysicists mission MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging ) is published in the Nature Geoscience magazine, briefly about it, reports NASA.
Geophysics found on mercury landforms — numerous folds, bends and fractures, the presence of which allows to unambiguously declare the presence of the planet in the recent past tectonic activity. The reason for this is the same as on Earth, the gradual cooling of the heavenly bodies, in which the outer crust shrinks and cracks.
The presence of active tectonics on mercury is consistent with the detection of the planet’s magnetic field, which has not disappeared until now, apparently, the gigantic compared to the size of the planet cools, inner core.
To such conclusions scientists have analyzed the data received by the station MESSENGER in the last year and a half mission. In the mid 1970-ies unusual landforms — faults extending for hundreds of miles — found station of Mariner 10. Then arose the hypothesis of tectonics on mercury, but MESSENGER only data allowed to confirm it.
Mercury is easier and less Land is about 20 times. The average density of he is about the same as that of the Earth. Year on the planet lasts about 88 days. From other planets of the Solar system mercury has a large metallic core accounts for 85 percent of the radius of this celestial body. For comparison, the Earth’s core accounts for only half of its radius.
MESSENGER launched on 3 August 2004 from the spaceport at Cape Canaveral with the help of the carrier rocket Delta II. The orbit of mercury, the unit had reached March 18, 2011. Just MESSENGER traveled more than 7.9 billion kilometers, including 15 trips around the Sun, three around mercury, two around Venus and one around the Earth. The unit ceased to exist in April 2015.
