Mercury Interior Structure

The interior of mercury is remarkably similar to the interior of our own planet earth.

Mercury interior structure. Constraints on mercury s composition and internal structure are reviewed and possible interior models are described. Like earth mercury has a crust mantle and core. Reconstructing mercury s evolution requires relating internal structure and planetary dynamics to topography chemistry and surface geology.

This review addresses the deep interior structure of mercury. Measurements of the planet s magnetic field made by mariner 10 as it flew by the planet indicates that this core is likely to be hot and fluid. Constraints on mercury s composition and internal structure are reviewed and possible interior models are described.

Large advances in our knowledge of mercury s interior are not only expected from imaging of characteristic surface features but particularly from geodetic observations of the gravity field the rotation and the tides. Structure of mercury s interior. Mercury s interior has a larger ratio of metallic core material to silicate rock material than the earth.

Accretion differentiation orbital rotational and internal dynamics impact cratering tectonics and volcanism. Most of our knowledge about mercury s interior structure can be traced to peale s ideas and to the powerful connection between dynamics and geophysics. We review aspects of mercury s rotational dynamics that are relevant to de termining its interior structure peale 1988 provided a more extensive review.

Mercury is thought to consist of similar chemical reservoirs core mantle crust as the other terrestrial planets but with a relatively much larger core. Mercury is one of four terrestrial planets in the solar system and is a rocky body like earth. Large advances in our knowledge of mercury s interior.

Mercury has a radius of 2439 km 1524 mi and the metallic iron nickel core is believed to make up about 75 of this distance. Scientists believe that the interior structure of mercury includes a metallic core an intermediate rocky layer and a thin brittle crust. Mercury is thought to consist of similar chemical reservoirs core mantle crust as the other terrestrial planets but with a relatively much larger core.