List of geological features on Mercury
List of geological features on Mercury is an itemization of mountains, valleys, craters and other landform features of the planet Mercury. Different types of features are named after different things: Mercurian ridges are called dorsa, and are named after astronomers who made detailed studies of the planet; valleys are called valles, and are named after radio telescope facilities; plains are called planitiae, and most are named after mythological names associated with Mercury; escarpments are called rupes and are named after the ships of famous explorers; long, narrow depressions are called fossae and are named after works of architecture.
See also list of craters on Mercury, list of albedo features on Mercury, and list of quadrangles on Mercury
Longitude is west longitude.
List of geological features on Mercury
Feature | Latitude | Longitude | Named after |
---|---|---|---|
Mountains | |||
Caloris Montes | 39.4 | 187.2 | Latin for 'mountains of heat' |
Ridges | |||
Antoniadi Dorsum | 25.1 | 30.5 | Eugène Antoniadi |
Schiaparelli Dorsum | 23 | 164.1 | Giovanni Schiaparelli |
Fossae | |||
Pantheon Fossae | 30.5 | 197.0 | The Pantheon, Rome |
Valleys | |||
Angkor Vallis | 57.3 | 246.0 | Angkor, ancient city in Cambodia |
Cahokia Vallis | 65.6 | 233.1 | Cahokia Mounds, ancient city in Illinois, USA |
Caral Vallis | 62.6 | 230.6 | Caral, ancient city in Peru |
Paestum Vallis | 60.5 | 233.5 | Paestum, ancient city in Campania, Italy |
Timgad Vallis | 60.8 | 243.1 | Timgad, ancient city in Algeria |
Plains | |||
Borealis Planitia | 73.4 | 79.5 | Latin for 'northern plain' |
Budh Planitia | 22 | 150.9 | Hindu word for Mercury |
Caloris Planitia | 30.5 | 189.8 | Latin for 'heat's plain' |
Odin Planitia | 23.3 | 171.6 | Norse god Odin |
Sobkou Planitia | 39.9 | 129.9 | Messenger god |
Suisei Planitia | 59.2 | 150.8 | Japanese for Mercury |
Tir Planitia | 0.8 | 176.1 | Norse for Mercury |
Escarpments | |||
Adventure Rupes | -65.1 | 65.5 | HMS Adventure, ship of Captain Cook |
Alvin Rupes | 8.3 | 208.6 | DSV Alvin, American deep-ocean research submersible |
Astrolabe Rupes | -42.6 | 70.7 | Astrolabe, ship of Jules Dumont d'Urville |
Beagle Rupes | -1.9 | 258.89 | HMS Beagle, ship on which Charles Darwin sailed |
Belgica Rupes | -50.5 | 296.3 | Belgica, Belgian ship that was the first to winter in the Antarctic |
Blossom Rupes | -3.0 | 270.2 | HMS Blossom, English ship that explored the Northwest Passage under Frederick William Beechey |
Calypso Rupes | 19.5 | 316.5 | RV Calypso, oceanographic research vessel of Jacques-Yves Cousteau |
Carnegie Rupes | 58.5 | 53.3 | Carnegie, research vessel used for magnetic surveys |
Discovery Rupes | -56.3 | 38.3 | HMS Discovery, ship of Captain Cook |
Duyfken Rupes | -21.4 | 131.8 | Duyfken, ship of Willem Janszoon |
Eltanin Rupes | -74.8 | 269.2 | USNS Eltanin, American icebreaker and Antarctic research vessel |
Endeavour Rupes | 37.5 | 31.3 | HM Bark Endeavour, ship of Captain Cook |
Enterprise Rupes | -36.5 | 283.5 | USS Enterprise, American ship that explored the Mississippi, Amazon, and Madeira Rivers |
Fram Rupes | -56.9 | 93.3 | Fram, ship of Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen |
Gjöa Rupes | -66.7 | 159.3 | Gjøa, ship of Roald Amundsen |
Heemskerck Rupes | 25.9 | 125.3 | Ship of Abel Tasman |
Hero Rupes | -58.4 | 171.4 | Ship of Nathaniel Palmer |
La Duaphine Rupes | 66.3 | 26.6 | Ship of Giovanni da Verrazzano |
Mirni Rupes | -37.3 | 39.9 | Mirny, ship of Mikhail Lazarev |
Nautilus Rupes | -28.2 | 293.3 | EV Nautilus, research vessel operated by Robert Ballard |
Palmer Rupes | -26.3 | 106.6 | Nathaniel B. Palmer, American icebreaker and Antarctic research vessel operated |
Paramour Rupes | -0.1 | 212.5 | HMS Paramour English research vessel commanded by Edmond Halley |
Pourquoi-Pas Rupes | -58.1 | 156 | Pourquoi Pas? IV, ship of Jean-Baptiste Charcot |
Resolution Rupes | -63.8 | 51.7 | HMS Resolution, ship of Captain Cook |
Santa María Rupes | 5.5 | 19.7 | Santa María, ship of Christopher Columbus |
Terror Rupes | -72.1 | 275.7 | HMS Terror, English ship of Arctic and Antarctic exploration |
Unity Rupes | 27.1 | 275.1 | Unity, English ship on which Edmond Halley sailed to Saint Helena |
Victoria Rupes | 50.9 | 31.1 | Victoria, ship of Ferdinand Magellan |
Vostok Rupes | -37.7 | 19.5 | Vostok, ship of Fabian von Bellingshausen |
Zarya Rupes | -42.8 | 20.5 | Zarya, a Soviet experimental schooner |
Zeehaen Rupes | 51 | 157 | Ship of Jules Dumont d'Urville |
Crater Chains | |||
Arecibo Catena | -27.5 | 28.4 | Arecibo Observatory |
Goldstone Catena | -15.8 | 31.7 | Goldstone Observatory |
Haystack Catena | 4.7 | 46.2 | Haystack Observatory |
References
- Batson R.M., Russell J.F. (1994), Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, United States Geological Survey Bulletin 2129