title: Flood volcanism in the northern high latitudes of Mercury revealed by MESSENGER.
abstract: MESSENGER observations from Mercury orbit reveal that a large contiguous expanse of smooth plains covers much of Mercury's high northern latitudes and occupies more than 6% of the planet's surface area. These plains are smooth, embay other landforms, are distinct in color, show several flow features, and partially or completely bury impact craters, the sizes of which indicate plains thicknesses of more than 1 kilometer and multiple phases of emplacement. These characteristics, as well as associated features, interpreted to have formed by thermal erosion, indicate emplacement in a flood-basalt style, consistent with x-ray spectrometric data indicating surface compositions intermediate between those of basalts and komatiites. The plains formed after the Caloris impact basin, confirming that volcanism was a globally extensive process in Mercury's post-heavy bombardment era.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. james_head@brown.edu
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Head
authors.forename: Clark R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Strom
authors.forename: Caleb I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Fassett
authors.forename: Brett W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Denevi
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Blewett
authors.forename: Carolyn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Watters
authors.forename: Sean C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Murchie
authors.forename: Louise M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Prockter
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Chabot
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gillis-Davis
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Whitten
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Goudge
authors.forename: David M H
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Debra M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
authors.forename: Lillian R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Ostrach
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Merline
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kerber
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oberst
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klimczak
authors.forename: Larry R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Nittler