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One of the most prominent geological features is the network of long, narrow ridges or scarps that extend hundreds of kilometers. These were likely formed as Mercury’s interior cooled and contracted, causing the planet’s crust to compress and fracture.
Impact Craters and Volcanic Features
Mercury’s surface is dotted with colossal impact craters. The most famous among them is the Caloris Basin, a massive impact structure spanning approximately 1,550 km in diameter. The impact that created Caloris was so violent it ejected lava and produced a concentric ring of raised terrain over 2 km high around the basin.