Ubuso bukaMercury ezifundweni zezinkanyezi
I-Mercury iyiplanethi eseduze kakhulu neLanga futhi ingenye yezinto eziyinselele kakhulu ukuzifunda kwezinkanyezi. Ukusondela kwayo eLangeni kwenza kube nzima ukuyibuka usuka eMhlabeni, njengoba ivame ukucwiliswa ekukhanyeni kweLanga futhi ibonakala ngezikhathi ezithile kuphela—ngokuvamile ekuntweleni kokusa noma ukuhwalala. Kodwa-ke, naphezu kwale mingcele, i-Mercury inezinkomba ezibalulekile ngomlando wokuqala weSistimu Yelanga. Ubuso bayo obuqhekekile, amaphutha amakhulu, kanye namaphethini ahlukile okwakheka komhlaba kwenza kube yindawo yokucwaninga yemvelo yokuqonda izinqubo ezakha amaplanethi anamatshe.
Izici ezijwayelekile zobuso beMercury
Uma ubheka kuqala, ubuso beMercury buvame ukuqhathaniswa nobeNyanga. Zombili zibuswa yimigodi evela emiphumeleni ye-meteoroid kanye ne-asteroid, futhi zinezimo eziphansi kakhulu. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kufana kumane nje kungaphandle. Ukuhlaziywa kwe-geology yeplanethi kusikisela ukuthi iMercury inomlando wangaphakathi ohlukile, okuhlanganisa nokuvela kokushisa okukhulu kakhulu kanye ne-tectonic. Ububanzi beMercury bungamakhilomitha angu-4.880—bukhulu kuneNyanga, kodwa buncane kuneMars. Naphezu kobukhulu bayo obuncane, iMercury inomgogodla wensimbi omkhulu kakhulu, okucatshangwa ukuthi wakha ingxenye enkulu yomthamo wayo. Leli qiniso lithonya amandla ayo adonsela phansi, insimu yamagnetic, kanye nokuguquguquka kwayo kobuso ekugcineni.
Ubuso beMercury bubonisa ingxube yamathafa amakhulu, izizinda ezinkulu zomthelela, imigodi emincane kuya kwemikhulu, kanye nezakhiwo ze-tectonic ngesimo se-lobate scarps. Lezi zici zinikeza umlando omude wokuxhumana phakathi kwemiphumela yangaphandle kanye nokuguquka kwangaphakathi kweplanethi.
Ama-crater athintayo kanye nezitsha ezinkulu
Ama-impact crater yizona zinto ezivelele kakhulu kwi-Mercury. Ngenxa yokuthi iplanethi ayinawo umoya, izidalwa zasezulwini ezingena ku-orbit ye-Mercury azishi njengezithutha eMhlabeni. Ngenxa yalokho, ubuso be-Mercury bugcina imikhondo yemithelela iminyaka eyizigidigidi. La ma-crater ayahlukahluka ngesimo kusukela kuma-crater alula anesimo sesitsha kuya kuma-crater ayinkimbinkimbi aneziqongo eziphakathi, izindonga ezigobile, kanye namaphethini amakhulu e-ejecta.
Esinye isakhiwo esidumile yiCaloris Basin, esinye sezitsha ezinkulu kakhulu zokuhlasela eSolar System, esinobubanzi obungaba yi-1.500 km. I-Caloris yakhiwa ukushaya kwento enkulu ngesikhathi sokuqhuma kwamabhomu okuqala. Ukushaya kwakunamandla kangangokuthi kwadala iphethini yemifantu, izintaba eziyindilinga, kanye namathafa e-lava kamuva agcwalisa ingxenye yesitsha. Ngokuthakazelisayo, ngakolunye uhlangothi lweCaloris kunesifunda "sendawo eyinqaba" noma indawo engavamile egcwele amagquma aphithizelayo. Lokhu kucatshangwa ukuthi kungenxa yamagagasi okushaqeka avela kumthelela weCaloris owasakazeka ngaphakathi kweplanethi futhi wagxila ohlangothini oluphambene nezindawo, walimaza uqweqwe lapho.
Ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi kanye ne-geology yamaplanethi, imigodi kanye nezitsha ezifana ne-Caloris zisebenza "njengezimpawu zesikhathi." Uma imigodi eminingi esifundeni, kulapho ubuso budala khona. Ngokuqhathanisa ubuningi bemigodi ezindaweni ezahlukene, ososayensi bangakwazi ukumaka izikhathi ze-geological ze-Mercury ngokwemibandela ehlobene.
Amathafa entaba-mlilo kanye nomlando we-lava
Ngokungafani neNyanga, lapho iningi lezintaba-mlilo zayo zenzeka khona ekuqaleni, iMercury ikhombisa ubufakazi bezintaba-mlilo ezibalulekile, futhi kungenzeka ukuthi yahlala isikhathi eside kunalokho okwakucatshangwa ngaphambili. Kucatshangwa ukuthi amathafa abushelelezi eMercury akheke ngokugeleza kwe-basaltic lava okwagcwalisa izitsha ezithinta noma kwamboza izindawo ezinkulu.
Umsebenzi we-NASA we-MESSENGER, owawujikeleza iMercury kusukela ngo-2011-2015, wembule ukuqonda okusha ngentaba-mlilo yeplanethi. Idatha yembule "amathafa abushelelezi" afana ne-lunar maria, kodwa enokwakheka kwamakhemikhali okuhlukile kuMercury. Ezinye izindawo zibonise ukuba khona kwemigodi yentaba-mlilo okungenzeka ukuthi yayingumthombo wezinto ezibangelwa yi-pyroclastic—amadiphozithi avela ekuqhumeni okuqhumayo. Ukutholakala kwalezi zindawo ezibangelwa yi-pyroclastic kubalulekile ngoba kusikisela ukuba khona kwegesi ku-magma, kusekela isimo sokuthi ingaphakathi leMercury lake laqukethe izinto ezishintshashintshayo kakhulu kunalokho okwakucatshangwa ngaphambili.
I-Tectonics: imigqa yamaphutha kanye nokufinyela kwamaplanethi
Esinye sezici ezivelele kakhulu ebusweni beMercury yizicucu zayo eziningi ze-lobate, amawa amade, agobile akhiwe ngamaphutha okusunduza. Lezi zakhiwo zibonisa ukuthi iMercury iyancipha emhlabeni wonke—iplanethi “iyancipha.” Ukuncipha kwenzeka lapho ingaphakathi leplanethi liphola, kunciphisa umthamo walo futhi kunciphe uqweqwe lwalo, kwakha imigoqo emikhulu namaphutha.
Amanye ama-lobate scarps anwebeka amakhulu amakhilomitha futhi angafinyelela ukuphakama okungaphezu kwekhilomitha elilodwa. Lokhu kunikeza ubufakazi obuqinile bokuthi ukuvela kokushisa kukaMercury kwakunamandla kakhulu esikhathini esidlule. Ngokwezinkanyezi, lesi simo sibalulekile ngoba sibonisa indlela amaplanethi anamatshe angaguquka ngayo ngenxa yokupholisa kwangaphakathi, futhi sinikeza nokuqhathanisa ukuqonda i-tectonics eNyangeni, eMars, naseMhlabeni.
“Izimbobo” kanye nemfihlakalo yokuguguleka komhlabathi okuguqukayo
I-MESSENGER iphinde yembula izici eziyingqayizivele ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-hollows: ama-depture angajulile, angajwayelekile, avame ukuhlanganiswa ndawonye anemiphetho ekhanyayo. Ama-hollows avame ukutholakala ngaphakathi kwama-crater noma eduze kwama-rim nama-wall e-crater. Ososayensi basola ukuthi ama-hollows akheka ngenxa yokulahlekelwa kwezinto eziguquguqukayo ezivela ebusweni—uhlobo "lokuhwamuka" noma ukuncishiswa kwezinto ezithile ngenxa yokuchayeka ekushiseni kweLanga kanye nendawo ezungezile.
Ukutholakala kwemigodi kushintsha umbono osekunesikhathi eside wokuthi iMercury ayinazo nhlobo izinto eziguquguqukayo ngenxa yokuthi iseduze neLanga. Uma kwakukhona izinto eziguquguqukayo ezanele zokwakha imigodi, khona-ke ukwakheka kweMercury kanye nokuguquguquka kwezinto kungase kube yinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, okuhlanganisa ukuqongelela kwezinto ezivela ezindaweni ezikude noma izindlela zokubamba izinto eziguquguqukayo ohlelweni lwelanga lokuqala.
Ukushintshashintsha kwezinga lokushisa okukhulu kanye nomthelela wazo ebusweni
I-Mercury inesikhathi sokujikeleza esiyingqayizivele: ukujikeleza oku-3 ku-axis yayo njalo ngokujikeleza oku-2 okuzungeze iLanga (umsindo ongu-3:2). Ngenxa yalokho, "usuku lwelanga" ku-Mercury lude kakhulu, cishe izinsuku ezingu-176 zoMhlaba. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Mercury cishe ayinawo umoya wokubamba ukushisa. Amazinga okushisa emini angadlula ku-400°C, kuyilapho amazinga okushisa ebusuku ehla afike cishe ku--170°C.
Lokhu kushintshashintsha kwezinga lokushisa okukhulu kubangela ukuqhekeka kokushisa, okungaphula amatshe kancane kancane. Nakuba lolu hlobo lokuwa lungashukunyiswa amanzi, umoya, kanye nomsebenzi wezinto eziphilayo njengaseMhlabeni, izinguquko ezibukhali zokushisa ziseyisici esibalulekile ekuguqukeni kwesakhiwo se-microsurface.
Iqhwa ezimpondweni: indida eduze neLanga
Enye yezinto ezitholwe kakhulu kwezesayensi yezinkanyezi zamaplanethi inkomba yeqhwa lamanzi ezimpondweni zeMercury. Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi kube neqhwa emhlabeni oseduze kakhulu neLanga? Impendulo itholakala ekuthambekeni okuncane kakhulu kwe-axial kweMercury. Ngenxa yokuthambekela kwayo okuncane, amanye ama-crater ezindaweni eziphansi anephansi elingakaze livezwe elangeni (izindawo ezihlala zinomthunzi). Kulezi zindawo, amazinga okushisa angahlala ephansi kangangokuthi iqhwa lingahlala izigidigidi zeminyaka. Izilinganiso ze-radar ezivela ku-Earth kanye nedatha ye-MESSENGER zisekela ukuba khona kwama-ice deposits, mhlawumbe ambozwe ungqimba lwezinto ezimnyama ngaphezu kwawo.
Iqhwa laseMercury elisezindaweni ezibandayo linikeza ubufakazi bokuthi ukusatshalaliswa kwamanzi kanye nezinto eziguquguqukayo ohlelweni lwelanga akulula njengoba "ukusondela elangeni, komisa kakhulu." Kuqinisa nomqondo wokuthi ama-comet noma ama-asteroid acebile ngamanzi ayengaletha iqhwa ezindaweni ezahlukene, kufaka phakathi amaplanethi anamadwala.
Indima yemisebenzi yasemkhathini ekudwebeni imephu yomhlaba
Ukuqonda kwanamuhla ubuso bukaMercury kuncike kakhulu emisebenzini yasemkhathini. Umsebenzi we-NASA we-Mariner 10 ngo-1974-1975 wawungowokuqala ukuthatha isithombe se-Mercury eduze, kodwa wadweba cishe u-45% wobuso kuphela. Kamuva i-MESSENGER yaqeda imephu yomhlaba wonke futhi yanikeza idatha ngokwakheka kwamakhemikhali ayo, ukuma komhlaba, insimu yamagnetic, kanye nomlando we-geological. Umsebenzi ozayo we-BepiColombo (ESA-JAXA) kulindeleke ukuthi ujulise izifundo ze-mineralogy kaMercury, isakhiwo se-crustal, kanye nobudlelwano phakathi kwezangaphakathi nezici zobuso bukaMercury.
Isiphetho
Ubuso bukaMercury buyinqolobane ye-cosmic geological eqopha umlando wokuqala weSistimu Yelanga, kusukela enkathini yokuqhuma okukhulu kuya emsebenzini wezintaba-mlilo zomhlaba wonke kanye nomsebenzi we-tectonic owabumba izibazi zamaphutha. Imigodi yayo inikeza izinkomba zobudala bobuso, amathafa ayo e-lava embula ukuguquguquka kwangaphakathi, imigodi yayo inselele izinkolelo mayelana nokuguquguquka, kanye neqhwa layo elisezindaweni ezibandayo lisikisela ukuthi ngisho neplanethi eseduze neLanga ingaba "nemikhondo yamanzi."
Ku-astronomy yanamuhla, i-Mercury akuyona nje iplanethi encane, eshisiwe eduze neLanga, kodwa iyisihluthulelo sokuqonda ukuthi amaplanethi anamatshe akha kanjani, aguquke, futhi asebenzisane kanjani nendawo yawo yasemkhathini. Imephu ngayinye entsha kanye nengxenye ngayinye yedatha yomsebenzi wasemkhathini yengeza isahluko esisha endabeni yale planethi ebonakala ithule, kodwa empeleni ecebile ngezimfihlo.
