Mercury is shrinking rapidly! So far, at least this many kilometers, surprising study

 

 

Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. A surprising study report has now been released about Mercury, which is believed to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Recent research reveals that Mercury is shrinking over time. Researchers claim that new measurement methods prove that Mercury's radius has shrunk by 2.7 to 5.6 kilometers.

Scientists also say that this phenomenon is due to Mercury's unique internal structure. These findings provide crucial insights into Mercury's tectonic activity. These new findings were made by a research team led by Thomas R. Waters and Christian Klimsak. This study report was published in AGU Advances.

Recent research shows that Mercury's radius has decreased by 2.7 to 5.6 kilometers. This is a big change from previous estimates of between one and seven kilometers. This shrinkage is mainly due to cooling of Mercury's interior. As the planet loses heat over billions of years, the core shrinks slightly. This slow shrinkage causes thrust faults throughout its rocky mantle, which compress the surface.

The new study says that this process, which has been going on for billions of years, has reduced Mercury's total diameter by about 11 kilometers so far. The researchers also say that changes in measurement methods make these estimates more accurate. Previously, scientists used to estimate the amount of shrinkage by measuring the size of the faults on its surface. But these measurements were inaccurate. The new research provides a more direct and accurate way to estimate how much Mercury has shrunk. The team ran their new model based on three datasets.

At the same time, the Earth retains more internal heat due to its larger size and tectonic activity, so the Earth is shrinking much more slowly, the researchers say. The researchers also note that because Mercury is small and lacks active plate tectonics, the effects of cooling in the core are more visible on its surface.

The researchers say similar techniques could be applied to Mars and other rocky planets. This could provide new clues about their tectonic shifts and heat flows. These new studies could revolutionize our view of the solar system.