ScienceAI imageMercury's Surface Contains About 37% Silicon Dioxide, Less Than Estimated
New infrared calibration suggests Mercury's surface contains approximately 37.4% silicon dioxide by mass, which is up to 25% less than previous estimates. This indicates that Mercury's ancient lavas originated from a hotter and more extensively melted mantle. The estimate is based on a single observation and awaits confirmation from the BepiColombo mission's global measurements.
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