Caloris Montes
Encyclopedia
The Caloris Montes are a range of mountain
s on Mercury
. They are a system of linear hills and valleys that extend more than 1000 km to the northeast from the mountainous rim of Caloris Basin
in the Shakespeare quadrangle
(H-3). It consists of numerous rectilinear massif
s 1 to 2 km high and about 10 to 50 km long, mostly elongate radially from center of basin and separated by hackly-floored, radial troughs and gougelike structures. The surfaces of the massifs are hackly. It is best developed along inner edge of basin where steep inward-facing scarp
s are common, grading outward into smaller massifs and blocks. It marks the crest of most prominent ring structure around Caloris. Type area: region near 18°, 184.5° (FDS 229). It is thought to be composed of uplifted prebasin bedrock covered by deep-seated late ejecta from Caloris. The inner boundary is approximately the outer limit of crater of excavation.
The Caloris Montes are similar to the so-called lunar Imbrium sculpture. It is generally believed that this type of lineated surface feature resulted from excavations by secondary projectiles when the large basins were formed and, possibly, fracturing and faulting of the planet's crust during the basin formation. Caloris Montes are only the innermost formation of the Caloris Group
of formations produced by the Caloris Basin impact.
A gap is present in the Caloris Montes toward the southeast; its origin is unknown, but it is somewhat similar to the gap on the east side of the Imbrium Basin, where the mountain ring cuts the edge of the Serenitatis Basin. On Mercury, however, we have no evidence for the presence of a preexisting basin east of Caloris.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s on Mercury
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
. They are a system of linear hills and valleys that extend more than 1000 km to the northeast from the mountainous rim of Caloris Basin
Caloris Basin
The Caloris Basin, also called Caloris Planitia, is a large impact crater on Mercury about in diameter, one of the largest impact basins in the solar system. Caloris is Latin for heat and the basin is so-named because the Sun is almost directly overhead every second time Mercury passes perihelion...
in the Shakespeare quadrangle
Shakespeare quadrangle
The Shakespeare quadrangle is a region of Mercury running from 90 to 180° longitude and 20 to 70° latitude. It is also called Caduceata.-Mariner 10 imaging:...
(H-3). It consists of numerous rectilinear massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
s 1 to 2 km high and about 10 to 50 km long, mostly elongate radially from center of basin and separated by hackly-floored, radial troughs and gougelike structures. The surfaces of the massifs are hackly. It is best developed along inner edge of basin where steep inward-facing scarp
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
s are common, grading outward into smaller massifs and blocks. It marks the crest of most prominent ring structure around Caloris. Type area: region near 18°, 184.5° (FDS 229). It is thought to be composed of uplifted prebasin bedrock covered by deep-seated late ejecta from Caloris. The inner boundary is approximately the outer limit of crater of excavation.
The Caloris Montes are similar to the so-called lunar Imbrium sculpture. It is generally believed that this type of lineated surface feature resulted from excavations by secondary projectiles when the large basins were formed and, possibly, fracturing and faulting of the planet's crust during the basin formation. Caloris Montes are only the innermost formation of the Caloris Group
Caloris Group
The Caloris group is a set of geologic units on Mercury. McCauley and others have proposed the name “Caloris Group” to include the mappable units created by the impact that formed the Caloris Basin and have formally named four formations within the group, which were first recognized and named...
of formations produced by the Caloris Basin impact.
A gap is present in the Caloris Montes toward the southeast; its origin is unknown, but it is somewhat similar to the gap on the east side of the Imbrium Basin, where the mountain ring cuts the edge of the Serenitatis Basin. On Mercury, however, we have no evidence for the presence of a preexisting basin east of Caloris.