New Research Shows How Mercury’s Crust Formed by Extreme Volcanism

This false-color image of Mercury was created with images from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft. The colors enhance different features on Mercury, including its chemical and mineralogical composition. The tan areas are lava plains and the blue areas are rich in darker minerals. Image Credit: NASA/(NASA PIA16853).

Researchers have figured out how to use lunar samples to determine the nature of volcanic activity on ancient Mercury. It’s all based on SiO2, or silicon dioxide. Its abundance in a planet’s crust reveals a lot about magma and volcanic activity.

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