Title of thesis
Explosive Volcanism on Mercury from Remote Sensing, Laboratory Studies, and Deep Learning Supporting BepiColombo.
Composition of the jury
- Dr. Thierry Fouchet (Observatoire de Paris, LIRA) – Chairman
- Dr. Nancy Chabot (Johns Hopkins, APL) – Reporter
- Dr. Patrick Pinet (Université Paul Sabatier, IRAP) – Reporter
- Dr. Fabrice Cipriani (European Space Agency, ESTEC) – Examiner
- Dr. Cateline Lantz (Université Paris-Saclay, IAS) – Examiner
- Dr. Sylvestre Maurice (Université Paul Sabatier, IRAP) – Examiner
- Dr. Sébastien Besse (European Space Agency, ESAC) – Thesis supervisor
- Dr. Alain Doressoundiram (Observatoire de Paris, LIRA) – Thesis supervisor
Abstract
Exploration missions to Mercury have uncovered a surface shaped by volcanism and space environment interactions. One key finding was the identification of explosive volcanic deposits, suggesting volatile accumulation in Mercury’s interior. This research examines these deposits using spectroscopy, deep learning, and laboratory experiments to understand the planet’s volcanic history and prepare for BepiColombo observations. Data from the MASCS spectrometer reveal complex pyroclastic deposit shapes. Analysing these features with deep learning we define the outline of 55 deposits and explore their spectral properties. Integrating the spectral data with morphological analyses of the vents, we find a trend of spectral darkening and flattening over time. We conclude that space weathering is likely the main driver, indicating some deposits may be younger than 1.1 Ga. To complement the remote sensing studies, we perform laboratory experiments with Mercury analogues.We measure the spectral changes on Mercury analogues linked to composition, grain size, and thermal effects, helping bridge the gap between MESSENGER and BepiColombo. These results suggest Mercury’s volcanism may have been active more recently than previously thought.
