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Fault Structure and Origin of Compressional Tectonic Features Within the Smooth Plains on Mercury

The major physiographic “smooth plains” units on Mercury are dominantly composed of volcanic deposits that have been deformed by horizontal compressive stresses. An open issue is whether these features formed by stresses induced by global contraction, bending stresses due to volcanic loading, or some combination of both. In this study, we model the surface expression of 12 shortening structures within several smooth plains units across Mercury to determine the geometries of the underlying faults. We implement an elastic dislocation model, using both listric and planar fault geometries, to place estimates on the depth of faulting for each feature. We show that a majority of smooth plains shortening structures penetrate the lithosphere to depths greater than 15 km. Thrust faults of this scale have not previously been recognized within the planet's smooth plains units and require a large horizontal stresses to form, which is best explained if this stress arises from global contraction. Further, our results suggest that the observed relief and length contrast between features in the smooth plains units and older intercrater plains units can be explained by interior layering of, and/or a shallower brittle‐ductile transition underlying, the smooth plains units.