The Effect of Heterogeneous Lithospheric Structure on Surface Stress and Tectonics on Mercury

Observations of Mercury's surface from the Mariner 10 and MESSENGER spacecraft reveal a planet-wide distribution of lobate scarps, which are interpreted to be the surface expression of thrust faults due to global contraction. Statistical analysis of scarps mapped in images from both missions suggests that the orientations of these features are not consistent with a uniform distribution, the expected outcome for a contracting lithosphere of constant thickness. One possible explanation for this observation considers Mercury's thermal state, which is driven by the insolation pattern. Mercury's 3:2 spin-orbit resonance, in concert with its substantial orbital eccentricity of e = 0.20, causes long-wavelength surface temperature variations of more than 130 K. Corresponding variations in lithospheric thickness are hence expected. If the contraction occurred while Mercury was in this dynamical state, the resulting stress distribution recorded on the surface during global cooling and inner core solidification may reflect this heterogeneity. We seek to determine whether contraction of a lithosphere with lateral thickness variations can explain the observed lobate scarp orientations on Mercury's surface. We employ the three-dimensional, viscoelastic, finite element model CitcomSVE along with a thermal evolution model to study Mercury's response to cooling, inner core formation, and lithosphere growth and to track the accumulation of stress in the lithosphere. The resulting stress pattern can then be compared to the orientations and distribution of scarps mapped on the surface of Mercury. Preliminary results indicate systematic variations between the expected orientation of faults in the "cold poles," where the lithosphere is thicker and the "hot poles," where the lithosphere is weaker. As MESSENGER returns more data, comparisons between model results and surface features will be refined.