Santa María Rupes Explained

Santa María Rupes
Type:	Rupes
Coordinates:	5.82°N -19.83°W^[1]
Eponym:	Santa María

Santa María Rupes is a prominent lobate escarpment and fault line on Mercury.^{[2] [3]} According to data from Aricebo, it has a relief of roughly 700m.^[4] The formation was named after the ship Santa María, used by Christopher Columbus.^{[5] [6]} The escarpment was probably created as Mercury cooled and thus contracted.

Notes and References

1. Book: Mahoney, T. J. . Mercury . 2013-11-18 . Springer Science & Business Media . 978-1-4614-7951-2 . en.
2. Web site: APOD: January 21, 1996 - Mercury's Faults . 2023-03-29 . apod.nasa.gov.
3. Book: Watters . Thomas R. . Planetary Tectonics . Schultz . Richard A. . 2010 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-76573-2 . en.
4. Watters . Thomas R. . Robinson . Mark S. . Cook . Anthony C. . Nov 1998 . Topography of lobate scarps on Mercury: New constraints on the planet's contraction . Geology . 26 . 11 . 991–994. 10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0991:TOLSOM>2.3.CO;2 .
5. Book: Moore . Patrick . Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy . Rees . Robin . 2014-01-16 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-139-49522-6 . en.
6. Book: Lang, Kenneth R. . The Cambridge Guide to the Solar System . 2011-03-03 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-139-49417-5 . en.