Comparative study of the Moon and Mercury surface evolution

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K05276
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Solid earth and planetary physics
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: KATO Manabu 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 名誉教授 (80115550)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 水星探査 / メッセンジャー計画 / 画像解析 / 直線崖 / ループ地形 / ベピコロンボ計画 / 比較惑星学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Predominant geological feature Rupes on Mercury are analyzed using image and altitude data by NASA MESSENGER Mercury mission. The rupes are presumably formed by crust shrinking globally considering their distribution on large circles of Mercury and large offsets of rupes. Rupes on the Moon are comparably investigated on their distribution and offset magnitude. I concludes lunar rupes are locally formed in margin area of Mares solidifing magma.
Results of this study are also used to make observation program in next Mercury exploration Bepi-Colombo project.

Free Research Field

太陽系探査科学