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In a groundbreaking discovery, planetary scientists have identified salty glaciers near the north pole of Mercury, challenging conventional notions about the closest planet to the sun, reported Live Science. The revelation stems from past observations made by NASA‘s retired MESSENGER probe and was detailed in a November publication in The Planetary Science Journal.
Lead study author Alexis Rodriguez, a planetary scientist at the Arizona-based nonprofit Planetary Science Institute (PSI), expressed the significance of the finding, linking it to recent observations of nitrogen glaciers on Pluto. Rodriguez noted, “Our finding complements other recent research showing that Pluto has nitrogen glaciers, implying that the glaciation phenomenon extends from the hottest to the coldest confines within our Solar System.”
Contrary to traditional icebergs, these glaciers, located in Mercury’s Raditladi and Eminescu craters, are composed of salt flows that encapsulate volatile compounds beneath the planet’s surface. Volatiles, such as water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, readily evaporate on a planet. The exposure of these salt formations resulted from asteroid impacts, offering scientists a glimpse into Mercury’s geological history.
The surprising presence of glaciers on Mercury challenges expectations due to the planet’s proximity to the sun, being 2.5 times closer than Earth. The salt flows, preserving volatiles for potentially “over one billion years,” according to study co-author Bryan Travis, could create subsurface environments shielded from the sun’s intense heat.
While distinct from Earth’s icebergs, the salt deposits on Mercury find parallels in similarly salty environments on our planet, leading scientists to speculate on the potential habitability of subsurface areas. Rodriguez emphasized, “Specific salt compounds on Earth create habitable niches even in some of the harshest environments where they occur, such as the arid Atacama Desert in Chile.”
The discovery not only raises questions about Mercury’s potential to support life but also sheds light on a longstanding mystery surrounding craters with missing chunks. The researchers propose that these pits, observed in some craters, were once filled with volatiles before impacts exposed and evaporated them.
The origin of the volatile layers remains a puzzle, with theories ranging from the collapse of a primordial atmosphere to the possibility of ancient lakes. Further investigations are essential to unravel the mysteries hidden beneath Mercury’s surface.
Lead study author Alexis Rodriguez, a planetary scientist at the Arizona-based nonprofit Planetary Science Institute (PSI), expressed the significance of the finding, linking it to recent observations of nitrogen glaciers on Pluto. Rodriguez noted, “Our finding complements other recent research showing that Pluto has nitrogen glaciers, implying that the glaciation phenomenon extends from the hottest to the coldest confines within our Solar System.”
Contrary to traditional icebergs, these glaciers, located in Mercury’s Raditladi and Eminescu craters, are composed of salt flows that encapsulate volatile compounds beneath the planet’s surface. Volatiles, such as water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, readily evaporate on a planet. The exposure of these salt formations resulted from asteroid impacts, offering scientists a glimpse into Mercury’s geological history.
The surprising presence of glaciers on Mercury challenges expectations due to the planet’s proximity to the sun, being 2.5 times closer than Earth. The salt flows, preserving volatiles for potentially “over one billion years,” according to study co-author Bryan Travis, could create subsurface environments shielded from the sun’s intense heat.
While distinct from Earth’s icebergs, the salt deposits on Mercury find parallels in similarly salty environments on our planet, leading scientists to speculate on the potential habitability of subsurface areas. Rodriguez emphasized, “Specific salt compounds on Earth create habitable niches even in some of the harshest environments where they occur, such as the arid Atacama Desert in Chile.”
The discovery not only raises questions about Mercury’s potential to support life but also sheds light on a longstanding mystery surrounding craters with missing chunks. The researchers propose that these pits, observed in some craters, were once filled with volatiles before impacts exposed and evaporated them.
The origin of the volatile layers remains a puzzle, with theories ranging from the collapse of a primordial atmosphere to the possibility of ancient lakes. Further investigations are essential to unravel the mysteries hidden beneath Mercury’s surface.
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