The Mercury soil: Presence of Fe2+

Abstract

The reflectance spectrum for integral Mercury is presented from 0.65 to 2.5 μm. The reflectance continues to increase from the visible spectral region into the infrared, and a weak, broad absorption band appears centered at 0.89 μm. The absorption is probably due to electronic transitions in Fe2+ ions in the soil. The band center position suggests an orthopyroxene as the major mafic mineral affecting the spectrum. The band strength and the soil albedo suggest that the amount of Fe2+ present is similar to that for lunar highland soil.