Masked tectonic structures suggest Mercury contracted 40% more than its visible scars alone indicate

September 13, 2026 · 7:30 pm 1 sources

Image: Phys.org

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• Masked tectonic structures suggest Mercury contracted 40% more than its visible scars alone indicate
  Phys.org · September 13, 2026 19:30
  The surface of Mercury is filled with craters, ridges and steep cliffs. Over billions of years, as the planet's interior cooled, the planet also shrank. Just as the skin of a drying fruit wrinkles when what is inside it shrinks, Mercury's rocky surface crumpled into ridges and cliffs as its…