Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: We present the first geological map of the Neruda Quadrangle (H13), Mercury. H13 is in Mercury’s southern hemisphere between latitudes 22.5°S–65°S, and longitudes 90°E–180° covering a total area of just under 5 million km², equivalent to 6.5% of the planet’s surface. Map digitisation was carried out at scales between 1:300,000 and 1:700,000 for final presentation at 1:3,000,0000, from end-of-mission data products from NASA’s MESSENGER mission. We distinguish three main photogeologic plains units: intercrater, intermediate, and smooth plains. We also distinguish all craters and their materials ≥ 20 km in diameter based on their degradation state. We have completed two versions of the map, one using a three-class crater degradation scheme and one using a five-class crater degradation scheme. In addition, specific geological units were charted for the Rembrandt impact basin. This map has been constructed to provide context and targets for the ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury.
Source: Journal of Maps
Institutions: The Open University, Le Mans Université, Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, Université d'Angers, Nantes Université, European Space Agency, European Space Astronomy Centre, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, University of Naples Federico II, National Institute for Astrophysics
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $778
Award: G6438117990
OpenAlex ID: W4386734299