Geology of the Michelangelo quadrangle (H12), Mercury

Bibliographic Data

ID16840428
AuthorsSalvatore Buoninfante (0000-0003-2596-9267, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, corresponding author), Valentina Galluzzi (0000-0002-3237-3456, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology), Luigi Ferranti (0000-0002-0531-6763, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology), David A Rothery (0000-0002-9077-3167, The Open University), H Hiesinger (0000-0001-7688-1965, University of Münster), Laura Guzzetta (0000-0003-3619-1032, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania), Felix Prüße (University of Münster), Benjamin Man (0000-0001-9056-6072, The Open University), Annie R Lennox (0009-0003-9305-6512, The Open University), Alistair Blance (0000-0002-9136-8438, The Open University), Maurizio Milano (0000-0002-8907-6428, University of Naples Federico II), Patrizia Palumbo (0000-0003-2323-9228, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology)
Year2025
Volume21
Issue1
Publication date2025-12-31
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Maps (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-5647 • E-ISSN: 1744-5647
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17445647.2025.2451791
OpenAlexW4406866295
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited52

The Michelangelo quadrangle of Mercury (H12) encompasses the area between latitudes 22.5°S–65°S and longitudes 180°E–270°E. The quadrangle covers almost 6.5% of the planet’s surface with a total area of almost 5 million km2. Geologic contacts and linear features were drawn at a mapping scale between 1:300,000 and 1:600,000, based on photointerpretation of MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) imagery. We distinguish three geomorphological plains units (smooth, intermediate, and intercrater plains) and, based on their degradation state, three morpho-stratigraphic classes of craters with diameter ≥ 20 km. The surface of this quadrangle is dominated by intermediate plains and by degraded crater materials of class c2. The geological map at 1:3,000,000 scale improves the existing 1:5,000,000 map based on Mariner-10 data. This work is a contribution to the Mercury geological map series planned to foster observational strategies of the ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission

Geomorphology · Quadrangle · Astro and Planetary Science · Computer Science · Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies · Planetary Science and Exploration · Geology

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Open DOIOpen Access