A case for limited global contraction of Mercury

Abstract Mercury is a one-plate planet that has experienced significant radial contraction primarily driven by interior cooling. In some previous studies aimed at estimating the total magnitude of contraction, numerous faults are assigned to positive relief landforms, many without evidence of origin by deformation, resulting in estimates of planetary radius reduction as large as 7 km. Here we use high-incidence angle image mosaics and topography from the MESSENGER mission to map Mercury’s contractional landforms. Each landform is assigned a single, principal fault, resulting in an amount of contractional strain equivalent to a radius change of no more than 1 to 2 km. A small radius change since the end of heavy bombardment is consistent with Mercury’s long-lived magnetic field and evidence of recent tectonic activity. It is concluded that the retention of interior heat and a lower degree of contraction may be facilitated by the insulating effect of a thick megaregolith.