Comparison of areas in shadow from imaging and altimetry in the north polar region of Mercury and implications for polar ice deposits.

ABSTRACT: Earth-based radar observations and results from the MESSENGER mission have provided strong evidence that permanently shadowed regions near Mercury's poles host deposits of water ice. MESSENGER's complete orbital image and topographic datasets enable Mercury's surface to be observed and modeled under an extensive range of illumination conditions. The shadowed regions of Mercury's north polar region from 65°N to 90°N were mapped by analyzing Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) images and by modeling illumination with Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) topographic data. The two independent methods produced strong agreement in identifying shadowed areas. All large radar-bright deposits, those hosted within impact craters ≥6 km in diameter, collocate with regions of shadow identified by both methods.

SUBMITTER: Deutsch AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5761734 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature