Discovery Rupes is an escarpment on Mercury, approximately 267 kilometers (166 mi) long, located at latitude 58.52 N and longitude 53.25 W.[1] It was formed by a thrust fault, thought to have occurred due to the shrinkage of the planet's core as it cooled over time. The scarp cuts through Duccio crater.
Feature type | Rupes |
---|---|
Coordinates | 58°31′N 53°15′W / 58.52°N 53.25°W |
Length | 267 km |
Eponym | Carnegie vessel |
The rupes are named after the Carnegie, a wooden (non-magnetic) American ship used to carry out magnetic observations.
References
edit- ^ "Carnegie Rupes". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 6 March 2022.