Different types of geological features on the planet Mercury are named after different things: Mercurian ridges are called dorsa, and are named after astronomers who made detailed studies of the planet; valleys are called valles, and are named after ancient abandoned cities, towns, and settlements; crater chains are called catenae and are named after radio telescope facilities; plains are called planitiae, and most are named after mythological names associated with Mercury; escarpments are called rupes and are named after the ships of famous explorers; long, narrow depressions are called fossae and are named after works of architecture; bright spots are called faculae and are named after the word 'snake' in various languages.[1][2][3]
List of geological features on Mercury
edit| Feature | Center Latitude | Center Longitude | Named after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montes | |||
| Caloris Montes | 31.46 | 174.15 | Latin for 'mountains of heat' |
| Dorsa | |||
| Antoniadi Dorsum | 27.20 | 29.65 | Eugène Antoniadi |
| Schiaparelli Dorsum | 23.26 | 164.30 | Giovanni Schiaparelli |
| Fossae | |||
| Borobudur Fossae | −32.77 | 271.50 | Borobudur |
| Pantheon Fossae | 30.19 | 197.17 | The Pantheon, Rome |
| Valles | |||
| Angkor Vallis | 57.28 | 245.96 | Angkor, ancient city in Cambodia |
| Cahokia Vallis | 65.55 | 233.06 | Cahokia Mounds, ancient city in Illinois, United States |
| Caral Vallis | 62.66 | 230.71 | Caral, ancient city in Peru |
| Paestum Vallis | 60.28 | 233.96 | Paestum, ancient city in Campania, Italy |
| Timgad Vallis | 60.88 | 243.56 | Timgad, ancient city in Algeria |
| Planitiae | |||
| Apārangi Planitia | 6.70 | 289.38 | Māori word for Mercury |
| Borealis Planitia | 67.30 | 327.40 | Latin for 'northern plain' |
| Budh Planitia | 19.52 | 150.46 | Hindu word for Mercury |
| Caloris Planitia | 31.65 | 198.02 | Latin for 'plain of heat' |
| Lugus Planitia | −6.24 | 98.66 | Gaulish equivalent of the Roman god Mercury |
| Mearcair Planitia | 31.40 | 227.90 | Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for Mercury |
| Odin Planitia | 23.60 | 169.86 | Norse god Odin |
| Otaared Planitia | 18.26 | 337.61 | Arabic word for Mercury |
| Papsukkal Planitia | −16.25 | 271.63 | Akkadian messenger god |
| Sihtu Planitia | −2.82 | 55.57 | Babylonian word for the planet Mercury |
| Sobkou Planitia | 39.00 | 128.02 | Ancient Egyptian messenger god |
| Stilbon Planitia | 57.54 | 209.61 | Ancient Greek word for Mercury |
| Suisei Planitia | 60.88 | 147.81 | Japanese for Mercury |
| Tir Planitia | −1.04 | 176.69 | Persian for Mercury |
| Turms Planitia | −31.05 | 350.81 | Etruscan messenger god equivalent of Roman god Mercury |
| Utaridi Planitia | −65.50 | 270.17 | Swahili name for Mercury |
| Rupēs | |||
| Acadia Rupes | 8.17 | 329.00 | CSS Acadia, Canadian hydrographic survey and oceanographic research vessel |
| Adventure Rupes | −65.48 | 65.30 | HMS Adventure, ship of Captain Cook |
| Alpha Crucis Rupes | −12.48 | 228.31 | Alpha Crucis, Brazilian oceanographic research vessel |
| Altair Rupes | −70.48 | 186.49 | Altair, Mexican research vessel |
| Alvin Rupes | 8.30 | 208.72 | DSV Alvin, American deep-ocean research submersible |
| Antares Rupes | 18.06 | 229.42 | Antares, Mexican oceanographic research vessel |
| Arquipelago Rupes | 7.36 | 229.31 | Arquipelago, Portuguese coastal research vessel |
| Astrolabe Rupes | −42.55 | 70.90 | Astrolabe, ship of Jules Dumont d'Urville |
| Beagle Rupes | −3.22 | 259.24 | HMS Beagle, ship on which Charles Darwin sailed |
| Belgica Rupes | −50.45 | 296.24 | RV Belgica, Belgian ship that was the first to winter in the Antarctic |
| Blossom Rupes | −3.04 | 270.15 | HMS Blossom, English ship that explored the Northwest Passage under Frederick William Beechey |
| Calypso Rupes | 19.53 | 316.48 | RV Calypso, oceanographic research vessel of Jacques-Yves Cousteau |
| Carnegie Rupes | 58.52 | 53.25 | Carnegie, research vessel used for magnetic surveys |
| Carrasco Rupes | −9.66 | 218.97 | BAP Carrasco, Peruvian Navy oceanographic research vessel |
| Challenger Rupes | −12.58 | 109.92 | HMS Challenger, survey ship used to undertake the first global marine research expedition |
| Chikyu Rupes | −53.82 | 259.62 | Chikyū is a Japanese scientific drilling ship built for the IODP |
| Darshak Rupes | −14.50 | 47.42 | INS Darshak is a Sandhayak-class hydrographic survey ship in the Indian Navy, under the Eastern Naval Command |
| Discovery Rupes | −54.70 | 37.24 | HMS Discovery, ship of Captain Cook |
| Duyfken Rupes | −20.88 | 131.93 | Duyfken, ship of Willem Janszoon |
| Eltanin Rupes | −74.99 | 269.40 | USNS Eltanin, American icebreaker and Antarctic research vessel |
| Endeavour Rupes | 38.36 | 31.38 | HM Bark Endeavour, ship of Captain Cook |
| Endurance Rupes | 21.60 | 217.81 | Endurance, a British three-masted barquentine led by Ernest Shackleton on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition |
| Enterprise Rupes | −36.54 | 283.46 | USS Enterprise, American ship that explored the Mississippi, Amazon, and Madeira Rivers |
| Fram Rupes | −57.68 | 93.20 | Fram, ship of Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen |
| Gjöa Rupes | −66.89 | 158.50 | Gjøa, ship of Roald Amundsen |
| Heemskerck Rupes | 27.30 | 124.31 | Ship of Abel Tasman |
| Hero Rupes | −58.72 | 171.70 | Hero, ship of Nathaniel Palmer |
| Hesperides Rupes | −2.98 | 189.55 | BIO Hespérides, is a Spanish polar research vessel |
| Investigator Rupes | −25.39 | 223.96 | RV Investigator, is an Australian marine research vessel operated by CSIRO for oceanographic and marine research |
| Kainan Rupes | −29.80 | 330.80 | Kainan Maru, Japanese ship of Nobu Shirase Antarctic exploration |
| La Duaphine Rupes | 66.30 | 26.62 | Ship of Giovanni da Verrazzano |
| Meteor Rupes | −47.70 | 345.70 | Meteor was a German survey vessel noted for her Atlantic Ocean survey work |
| Mirni Rupes | −38.54 | 39.01 | Mirny, ship of Mikhail Lazarev |
| Nautilus Rupes | −28.23 | 293.33 | EV Nautilus, research vessel operated by Robert Ballard |
| Palmer Rupes | −26.07 | 106.28 | Nathaniel B. Palmer, American icebreaker and Antarctic research vessel operated |
| Paramour Rupes | −0.08 | 212.54 | HMS Paramour, English research vessel commanded by Edmond Halley |
| Pelagia Rupes | 15.33 | 218.59 | RV Pelagia, Dutch research and survey vessel |
| Pourquoi-Pas Rupes | −58.54 | 156.17 | Pourquoi-Pas, ship of Jean-Baptiste Charcot |
| Protea Rupes | −9.36 | 203.01 | HMSAS Protea was the first hydrographic survey ship used by the South African Naval Service |
| Resolution Rupes | −63.25 | 50.66 | HMS Resolution, ship of Captain Cook |
| Santa María Rupes | 5.81 | 20.00 | Santa María, ship of Christopher Columbus |
| Selen Rupes | −8.11 | 178.92 | RV MTA Selen, Turkish research vessel operated by MTA |
| Soya Rupes | −6.47 | 293.37 | Sōya was Japan’s first dedicated Antarctic research vessel |
| Tangaroa Rupes | 1.04 | 173.27 | RV Tangaroa is a research vessel and icebreaker operated by Earth Sciences New Zealand for marine science and environmental monitoring |
| Terror Rupes | −72.06 | 275.69 | HMS Terror, English ship of Arctic and Antarctic exploration |
| Unity Rupes | 27.16 | 275.20 | Unity, English ship on which Edmond Halley sailed to Saint Helena |
| Vejas Rupes | 35.71 | 162.25 | Vejas, Lithuanian research vessel |
| Victoria Rupes | 52.71 | 34.16 | Victoria, ship of Ferdinand Magellan |
| Volasiga Rupes | −36.22 | 146.00 | The RFNS Volasiga is an oceanic survey vessel operated by the Republic of Fiji Navy |
| Vostok Rupes | −37.88 | 19.60 | Vostok, ship of Fabian von Bellingshausen |
| Xuelong Rupes | 57.27 | 182.87 | Xue Long and Xue Long 2 are research vessels belonging to China |
| Yelcho Rupes | 23.54 | 224.11 | Yelcho is a Chilean steam-powered cutter that rescued the Endurance crew in Antarctica in 1916 |
| Zapiola Rupes | 72.36 | 44.02 | Argentinian ship involved in oceanographic surveys in Southwestern Atlantic |
| Zarya Rupes | −42.73 | 20.42 | Zarya, a Soviet experimental schooner |
| Zeehaen Rupes | 49.64 | 158.15 | Ship of Abel Tasman |
| Catenae | |||
| Arecibo Catena | −27.58 | 28.29 | Arecibo Observatory |
| Goldstone Catena | −15.62 | 32.02 | Goldstone Observatory |
| Haystack Catena | 4.42 | 46.48 | Haystack Observatory |
| Faculae | |||
| Abeeso Facula | 21.70 | 214.60 | Somali word for snake |
| Agwo Facula | 22.40 | 213.70 | Igbo word for snake |
| Ahas Facula | −21.37 | 89.40 | Filipino word for snake |
| Amaru Facula | −49.80 | 349.50 | Quechuan word for snake |
| Bibilava Faculae | 16.40 | 202.80 | Malagasy word for snake |
| Bitin Facula | −51.55 | 28.45 | Cebuano word for snake |
| Coatl Facula | −29.75 | 216.55 | Nahuatl word for snake |
| Ejo Faculae | 14.50 | 200.50 | Yoruba word for snake |
| Gata Facula | −52.90 | 321.40 | Fijian and Samoan word for snake |
| Havu Facula | −52.22 | 28.45 | Kannada word for snake |
| Ibab Facula | 14.50 | 199.20 | Amharic word for snake |
| Inyoka Faculae | 14.00 | 197.70 | Zulu and Xhosa word for snake |
| Maciji Facula | 14.90 | 196.00 | Hausa word for snake |
| Madu Facula | −21.24 | 74.87 | Estonian word for snake |
| Nākahi Facula | −52.70 | 342.20 | Maori word for snake |
| Nathair Facula | 36.00 | 295.50 | Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for snake |
| Neidr Facula | 35.90 | 302.70 | Welsh word for snake |
| Ngu Facula | −22.77 | 90.85 | Lao word for snake |
| Nzoka Facula | 15.40 | 194.70 | Kamba word for snake |
| Orm Faculae | 26.58 | 59.68 | Swedish word for snake |
| Pampu Facula | −57.76 | 31.79 | Tamil word for snake |
| Sarpa Facula | −53.07 | 30.87 | Sinhalese word for snake |
| Serp Facula | 3.90 | 309.06 | Catalan word for snake |
| Slang Faculae | 24.50 | 179.30 | Afrikaans word for snake |
| Suge Facula | 26.10 | 300.40 | Basque word for snake |
| Thueban Facula | 48.70 | 200.50 | Arabic word for snake |
| Ular Facula | −55.10 | 29.95 | Malay word for snake |
| Yinshe Facula | −46.32 | 191.22 | Chinese word for silver snake |
| Zmija Facula | −37.35 | 267.75 | Serbian word for snake |