The Elusive Origin of Mercury

doi:10.1017/9781316650684.019

18 - The Elusive Origin of Mercury

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 December 2018

Denton S. Ebel and

Edited by

Larry R. Nittler and

Sean C. Solomon: Affiliation:
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York
Larry R. Nittler: Affiliation:
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC
Brian J. Anderson: Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland

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Summary

An objective of the MESSENGER mission was to learn the physical processes that determined Mercury’s high bulk ratio of metal to silicate. In the course of addressing that objective, the mission discovered multiple anomalous characteristics about the innermost planet. The lack of FeO and the reduced oxidation state of Mercury’s silicate crust and mantle are more extreme than nearly all other known materials in the solar system. In contrast, moderately volatile elements are present in abundances comparable to or greater than those of the other terrestrial planets. No single process during Mercury’s formation is able to account for all of these observations. Here, we review the current ideas for the origin of Mercury’s distinctive characteristics. Gaps in understanding the innermost regions of the early solar nebula limit the testing of different hypotheses. Even so, all proposed models are incomplete and need further development in order to unravel Mercury’s remaining secrets.

Type: Chapter
Information: Mercury
The View after MESSENGER
, pp. 497 - 515

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316650684.019 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2018

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