%0 Journal Article
%A Williams, Jean-Pierre
%A Ruiz Pérez, Javier
%A Rosenburg, Margaret A.
%A Aharonson, Oded
%A Phillips, Roger J
%T Insolation driven variations of Mercury’s lithospheric strength
%D 2011
%@ 0148-0227
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/42353
%X Mercury’s coupled 3:2 spin‐orbit resonance in conjunction with its relatively higheccentricity of ∼0.2 and near‐zero obliquity results in both a latitudinal and longitudinalvariation in annual average solar insolation and thus equatorial hot and cold regions.This results in an asymmetric temperature distribution in the lithosphere and a longwavelength lateral variation in lithosphere structure and strength that mirrors the insolationpattern. We employ a thermal evolution model for Mercury generating strength envelopesof the lithosphere to demonstrate and quantify the possible effects the insolation patternhas on Mercury’s lithosphere. We find the heterogeneity in lithosphere strength issubstantial and increases with time. We also find that a crust thicker than that of the Moonor Mars and dry rheologies for the crust and mantle are favorable when compared withestimates of brittle‐ductile transition depths derived from lobate scarps. Regions ofstronger and weaker compressive strength imply that the accommodation of radialcontraction of Mercury as its interior cooled, manifest as lobate scarps, may not beisotropic, imparting a preferential orientation and distribution to the lobate scarps.
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