Ridge systems of Caloris - Comparison with lunar basins

It has been found that the wrinkle ridge systems of the Caloris basin on Mercury display many of the traits which are characteristic of ridges in the mare-filled lunar multiring basins. The considered investigation is concerned with the ridge systems within the Caloris basin on Mercury, and implications for the origin of ridges within basins on both Mercury and the moon. The observed features are found to indicate that the early evolution of Caloris was similar to that of lunar mascon basins. The morphology of ridges within Caloris compares favorably with lunar ridges when viewed on similar resolution earth-based lunar photographs. Ridges in Caloris occur from 1000 to 1320 km diameter range, and are situated within the boundary delineated by topographic benches in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the basin. The orientation of Caloris ridges is more dominantly concentric than ridge orientations in lunar basins.