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Lava Spotted on Mercury

NASA flybys uncover planet's secrets

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 30, 2008 2:39 AM CDT

(Newser) – A spacecraft studying the planet Mercury has discovered evidence of enormous volcanic eruptions. The scale of the volcanic activity has astonished scientists, according to the National Geographic News. Images from the Messenger spacecraft reveal 3,600 cubic miles of solid lava inside a single crater—enough to drown the entire Baltimore/Washington metropolitan region under lava 12 times the height of the Washington Monument.

Mercury is only a tenth of the size of earth. "That's an awful lot of volcanic material in one place for such a little planet," said a mission co-investigator. Scientists believe the volcanic activity occurred some 4 billion years ago.

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The surface of Mercury seen from the Messenger space probe. Earth's first close look look at Mercury reveals evidence of ancient volcanoes. (AP Photo/NASA)

The planet Mercury seen from the spacecraft Messenger. Messenger is the first mission sent to orbit the planet closest to the sun. (AP Photo/NASA)

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Mercury's crust is more analogous to a marbled cake than a layered cake. - Mission co-investigator Mark Robinson of Arizona State University

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Lava Spotted on Mercury