Volcanic Plains Research Articles

Modeling glaciation of the Hellas Basin, Mars, for a ‘cold and icy’ late Noachian Paleoclimatic scenario

Global climate models (GCM) predict snow accumulation/glaciation on the Hellas basin eastern rim, where Amazonian glacial landforms are observed. We explore GCM results for Late Noachian-Early Hesperian higher atmospheric pressure/higher obliquity/faint young sun conditions, assess accumulation rates, and use these as input to an ice sheet model. We assess ice sheet growth, thickness, basal temperatures, basal melting water volumes, flow/sliding-ice velocities and the fate of basin floor glacial ice/meltwater. We conclude that significant volumes of glacial ice (with shear-induced basal melting) could have flowed down the basin wall and onto the basin floor, covering the majority with glacial ice. Late Noachian water budgets of up to 1000 m global equivalent layer (GEL) and Hellas floor ice sequestration are implied. Subsequent emplacement of Hesperian volcanic plains superposed on the ice may have caused melting (contact/deferred) and deformation (loading-induced flow/diapirism), potentially accounting for several observed basin floor geologic units.

Prison expansion in the plains grasslands: Coloniality, ecological injustice and carceral sprawl

This article examines the politics of prison siting on contaminated land within an endangered ecosystem in Australia, contributing to the literature on carceral geography and the burgeoning field of abolition ecology. I argue that prisons materialise in the landscape through processes of dispossession, environmental degradation and value extraction that enclose Indigenous lands for caging populations cast as ‘surplus’ to settler racial capitalism. The primary focus is the interface between prisons and the Victorian Volcanic Plain grasslands at a site called Ravenhall, a former military testing site that has been remade as a ‘prisons precinct’ and native grasslands reserve on Bunurong country in the outer Western suburbs of Melbourne. I investigate the history, ecology and political economy of prison-building at this site, unearthing the assemblage of living and nonliving entities involved in the construction of carceral geographies, and the meaning-making that guides planning and conservation processes. Rather than simply protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the plains grasslands, neoliberal conservation practices at Ravenhall facilitate carceral development by generating more visible and ‘substitutable’ natures to gloss over the socially and ecologically toxic realities of prisons. The analysis reinforces the role that carceral geographies play in reproducing structured racial-environmental vulnerabilities and the importance of challenging sprawling prison developments as part of decolonial, abolitionist and ecological justice struggles.

Morphological Study of The Pulai Watershed on Bintan Island, Riau Island

The Riau Islands are a group of small islands whose entire land is divided into watersheds. One of the watersheds in the Riau Islands that is currently the main source of raw water for the community is Sei Pulai. The condition of the watershed on Bintan Island is greatly influenced by its morphometrics. The purpose of this study is to determine the morphological characteristics of the Pulai watershed on Bintan Island. This research was conducted in 2024 with observation by survey. Data processing is carried out by physical mapping of watersheds (soil, slope and geology). The results of the analysis showed that the Island watershed was included in the category of high rainfall (average rainfall of 2,500 -< 3,000 mm/year) but the intensity of rainfall was relatively low with an average ± 19.11 mm/day; the widest geological characteristics were composed of Pre-Tertiary and Quaternary sedimentary formations and igneous rocks consisting of granite and diorite; geomorphological characteristics consist of hills and undulating, rivers have low relief, laminar river flows and no rapids are found, with clear river water color; The slope of the Pulai watershed varies with class I slopes covering an area of ±412 Ha (7%); class II covering an area of ±4,071 Ha (74%); class III covering an area of ±897 Ha (16%); class IV covering an area of ±36 Ha (1%) and class V covering an area of ±83 Ha (2%); the shape of the slope of the Pulai watershed which has a hilly area with a sunken slope will produce a sharper hydrograph uplift. In general, the morphological characteristics of the Pulai watershed are geologically dominated by slopes of 8-15%, while geomorphology is dominated by the shape of old volcanic plains. Efforts are needed to rehabilitate and plant protected areas to overcome erosion caused by the slope of hilly land and fragile soil characteristics, especially protected areas outside forest areas during the rainy season.

Book Review Wildlife of Victoria’s South-West: A Guide to the Grampians-Gariwerd, Volcanic Plains, Melbourne and Surrounds

Book Review Wildlife of Victoria’s South-West: A Guide to the Grampians-Gariwerd, Volcanic Plains, Melbourne and Surrounds

Experimental investigation of the bonding of sulfur in highly reduced silicate glasses and melts

Elucidating the role of sulfur on the structure of silicate glasses and melts at elevated pressures and temperatures is important for understanding transport properties, such as electrical conductivity and viscosity, of magma oceans and mantle-derived melts. These properties are fundamental for modeling the evolution of terrestrial planets and moons. Despite several investigations of sulfur speciation in glasses, questions remain regarding the effect of S on complex glasses at highly reducing conditions relevant to Mercury. Glasses were synthetized with compositions representative of the Northern Volcanic Plains of Mercury and containing quantities of S up to 5 wt%. Multiple spectroscopic methods and microprobe analyses were employed to probe the glasses, including in situ impedance spectroscopy at 2- and 4-GPa pressures and temperatures up to 1740 K using a multi-anvil press, 29Si NMR spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Electrical activation energies (Ea) in the glassy state range from 0.56 to 1.10 eV, in agreement with sodium as the main charge carrier. The electrical measurements indicate that sulfide improves Na+ transport and may overcome a known impeding effect of the divalent cation Ca2+. The glass transition temperature lies between 700 and 750 K, and for temperatures up to 970 K Ea decreases (0.35–0.68 eV) and the conductivities of the samples converge (∼5–8 × 10−3 S/m). At Tquench, the melt fraction is 50–70% and melt conductivity varies from 0.7 to 2.2 S/m, with the sample containing 5 wt% S the most conductive among the set. 29Si NMR spectra reveal that a high fraction of S bonds with Si in these complex glasses, a characteristic that has not been recognized previously. Raman spectra and maps reveal regions rich in Ca–S or Mg–S bonds. The evidence of sulfide interactions with both Si and Ca/Mg suggest that alkaline earth sulfides can be considered weak network modifiers in these glasses, under highly reduced conditions.

A WISPR of the Venus Surface: Analysis of the Venus Nightside Thermal Emission at Optical Wavelengths

Parker Solar Probe (PSP) conducted several flybys of Venus while using Venus’ gravity for orbital adjustments to enable its daring passes of the Sun. During these flybys, PSP turned to image the nightside of Venus using the Wide-field Imager for Solar PRobe (WISPR) optical telescopes, which unexpectedly observed Venus’ surface through its thick and cloudy atmosphere in a theorized, but until-then unobserved near-visible spectral window below 0.8 μm. We use observations taken during PSP’s fourth Venus gravity assist flyby to examine the origin of the Venus nightside flux and confirm the presence of this new atmospheric window through which to observe the surface geology of Venus. The WISPR images are well explained by emission from the hot Venus surface escaping through a new atmospheric window in the optical with an overlying emission component from the atmosphere at the limb that is consistent with O2 nightglow. The surface thermal emission correlates strongly with surface elevation (via temperature) and emission angle. Tessera and plains units have distinct WISPR brightness values. Controlling for elevation, Ovda Regio tessera is brighter than Thetis Regio; likewise, the volcanic plains of Sogolon Planitia are brighter than the surrounding regional plains units. WISPR brightness at 0.8 μm is predicted to be positively correlated to FeO content in minerals; thus, the brighter units may have a different starting composition, be less weathered, or have larger particle sizes.

Global geological mapping of Venus and the twenty-first-century legacy of William Smith: identification of challenges and opportunities for future research and exploration

Abstract Geological mapping principles have been applied across planet Earth since William Smith's initial 1815 map. During the Space Age, these principles were applied to smaller moons and planets, appropriately adjusted for remote conditions and data, and revealing ‘one plate planets’ recording Earth's missing chapters. Yet what of Venus, Earth's ‘twin’, shrouded in opaque clouds? How can these geological mapping principles be applied to address fundamental questions of planetary history? We outline how Venus's geological mapping over the last 35 years has proceeded towards a successively integrated more global picture that has revealed a surface and history unlike Earth or the smaller planetary bodies! The current 1 : 10 M global geological map documents geological units that all formed in the last c. 20% of Venus's history. The oldest, Fortunian, involved intense deformation and building of thicker crust (tessera). The Guineverian featured near-global emplacement of vast volcanic plains. The Atlian saw prominent rift zones and large shield volcanoes. The three major phases of activity provide a basis for assessing the geological, atmospheric and geodynamical processes operating earlier in Venus's history that led to the preserved record, raising a series of questions to be investigated in the coming decade by an international armada of Venus missions.

A mid-infrared study of synthetic glass and crystal mixtures analog to the geochemical terranes on mercury

The MERTIS (MErcury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer) onboard of the BepiColombo ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury will map the surface of Mercury in the wavelength range of 7–14 μm and for the interpretation of these spectra a database of analog materials is needed. We analyzed bulk grain size fractions of a series of analog materials relevant to the distinct terranes of Mercury in diffuse reflectance in the mid-infrared (2.5 μm to 18 μm). Mineral mixtures cover a wide range of modal amounts of forsterite, enstatite, diopside and plagioclase, the resulting spectra can be divided into three distinct groups: (1) is dominated by a single glass feature, (2) by forsterite bands, and (3) by pyroxene bands. Despite often high contents, plagioclase features, are usually ‘overprinted’ by forsterite and pyroxene bands.Spectral parameter CF, an easy obtainable proxy for chemistry (SiO2) and polymerization (SCFM) places the hermean mixtures mostly in the intermediate and basaltic range. The correlation of parameters easily obtainable in remote sensing, Mg/Si ratio, and CF, allows differing materials from high-energy evaporation processes in impacts from such formed in igneous processes.Preliminary comparison with a spectrum covering most of the hermean surface shows some similarity with band positions of the Inter Crater Plain and Heavily Cratered Terrains (IcP-HCT) and High-Mg Northern Volcanic Plains (High-Mg NVP) mixtures, but none of our spectra is able to reproduce the remote sensing data entirely.

Carbon as a key driver of super-reduced explosive volcanism on Mercury: Evidence from graphite-melt smelting experiments

Here we present the results of experiments designed to reproduce the interaction between super-solidus mercurian magmas and graphite at high temperatures (ramped up from ambient temperature to 1195–1390°C) and low pressure (10 mbar). The compositions of resultant gases were measured in situ with a thermal gravimeter/differential scanning calorimeter connected to a mass spectrometer configured to operate under low pressures and reducing conditions. Solid run products were analyzed by electron microprobe and Raman spectroscopy. Three magma starting compositions were based on the composition of the Borealis Planitia region (termed NVP for the Northern Volcanic Plains) on Mercury ± alkali metals, sulfur, and transition metal oxides. Smelting between FeOmelt and graphite was observed above 1100°C, evidenced by the generation of CO and CO2 gas and the formation of Fe-Si metal alloys, which were found in contact with residual graphite grains. Experiments with transition metal oxide-free starting compositions did not produce metal alloys and showed no significant gas production. In all runs that produced gas, C-O-H±S species dominated the degassing vapor. Our results suggest that the consideration of graphite smelting processes can significantly increase calculated eruption velocities and that gas produced by smelting alone can account for >75% of the pyroclastic deposits identified on Mercury. A combination of S-H-degassing and CO-CO2 production from smelting can explain all but the single largest pyroclastic deposit on Mercury.

Plume-induced flood basalts on Hesperian Mars: An investigation of Hesperia Planum

Hesperian Mars was characterized by a unique style of geodynamic activity that left crucial volcano-tectonic records in the form of extensive flood lavas covered by wrinkle ridges. Yet, little is known about the context of their formation. Here, we perform a tectonic and geophysical investigation of Hesperia Planum, a 1700-km-diameter volcanic plain covered by wrinkle ridges. Our tectonic analysis reveals that the planum has the highest density of wrinkle ridges on the planet and a characteristic compressional peak strain of about 3.20 × 10−3, almost 2 times larger than typical Hesperian compressional strains. We invert gravity and topography data and find that simple crustal loading and volcanism cannot explain the tectonic record. An additional source of deformation is thus required. We demonstrate that a loading sequence of plume-induced uplift, volcanism, and subsidence, following an evolutionary path similar to flood basalt provinces on Earth better fits the observations. This plume model is able to explain the peak strain, crustal thinning, and low relief of Hesperia Planum. The inferred plume head size (∼1400 km) and temperature anomaly (∼320 K) are consistent with large terrestrial plumes. Based on a fit to the tectonic record, we determine a plume center location that correlates with a cluster of wrinkle ridges, local crustal thinning, and a circular magnetic low, where the latter could be the result of a thermal demagnetization of the lithosphere in the presence of the ascending plume. Our analysis suggests that scattered mantle plumes could be at the origin of Hesperia Planum and other late Noachian to early Hesperian volcanic provinces within the highlands.

Morphological and hydrological analysis of volcanic flank valleys – Evidence for a volcanic origin

Valley networks incising the flanks of Martian volcanoes are potential evidence of geologically recent fluvial activity, either via geothermal heating of snowmelt and groundwater upwelling [Gulick and Baker, 1989, 1990; Gulick et al., 1997; Gulick, 2001; Hynek et al., 2010], or summit snowpack melt [Fassett and Head, 2006, 2007]; however, their origin remains uncertain [Carr, 2012]. In this study, detailed morphological, geometric and palaeohydraulic [Hack, 1957] analysis was performed on seven valley networks. Four are Martian valley networks incising the flanks of Alba Mons, Hecates Tholus and Ceraunius Tholus. Considering they may have a magmatic origin, the results of the analysis were compared to several Martian valleys incising volcanic plains and a lunar sinuous rille system, adjacent to Rimae Prinz, to determine whether they bear similarities and may have formed via a similar process. The morphologies of the three small valleys incising the flanks of Alba Mons, Hecates Tholus and Ceraunius Tholus are similar to those incising volcanic plains and the lunar sinuous rille (e.g., width:depth ratios of ∼3). In high-resolution imagery (Context Camera – 5 ​m per pixel; HiRISE - ∼0.5 ​m per pixel), pits can be observed throughout these valleys, which are potential evidence for collapsed lava tubes . The paleohydraulic analysis of these networks indicates that they did not likely form via precipitation-fed fluvial activity and, in some areas, the surface would cause drainage away from the valley trough. However, some of the volcanic flank valleys have small sedimentary deposits at their termination. A combination of these results indicate that they likely formed primarily as a result of tube-forming eruptions and subsequent lava tube collapse, followed by later periods of channel-forming eruptions. If subsequent fluvial activity did take place, resulting in the small sedimentary fans seen at the base of the some of the networks, it was likely the result of short-lived ice/snow melt, which flowed through the pre-defined lava channels. • Morphological and hydrological analysis of seven Martian valleys on volcanoes and volcanic plains, and one lunar rille. • The majority of the valleys bare resemblance with the lunar rille. • The valleys do not follow the scaling relationships expected for fluvial valley systems. • Most valleys likely formed from volcanic activity. • Some of these valleys were likely modified in post by fluvial activity.

Northward expansion of the westerlies over glacial southeastern Australia: evidence from semi-arid lunette dunes, temperate basalt plains, and wind modelling

It has long been hypothesized that the last glacial maximum (LGM) oversaw cold, arid, windy climates across southern Australia, and that these were driven by intensification and northward expansion of mid-latitude westerly circulation. Moreover, it was recently suggested that Australia experienced an extended LGM which began several millennia before the global peak. Aeolian sedimentary deposits provide key evidence for these hypotheses, and climate modelling an alternative means to test them. As yet, however, combined approaches to reconstructing glacial environments on the continent are scarce. Here we provide new evidence for westerly wind regimes across glacial southeastern Australia. We confirm active transverse lunette deposition at c. 29 ka and c. 23–19 ka in the semi-arid Willandra Lakes, and identify aeolian sand incursions to Spring Creek on the temperate Western Victorian Volcanic Plains from c. 29 ka. The Spring Creek deposits contain a surprising quantity of sand-sized quartz given the basalt setting, which we propose to be allochthonous and likely transported some distance. The site lies more than 50 km east and south of dunefields which were active at the same time and may have contributed sediment via long distance transport. We investigate the hypothesis for northward glacial expansion of westerly winds by combining our sediment records with aeolian particle transport simulations. We find that LGM near-surface winds were dominated by stronger, more focussed westerly air flow across southeastern Australia, compared with presently more diffuse wind regimes. Our results suggest stronger potential for LGM eastward distal sand transport onto the basalt plains, coeval with enhanced aeolian activity in the semi-arid Australian dunefields. Our combined reconstruction of aeolian deposition and trajectory modelling confirms the extended LGM hypothesis and indicates a northward migration of westerly winds over southeastern Australia during this period.

Penentuan Tipe Akuifer Daerah Bulontala Kabupaten Bone Bolango Menggunakan Metode Geolistrik

Research area Geographically, the location is at 0ᵒ31'0''N - 0ᵒ31'30'' North Latitude 123ᵒ8'0'' - 123ᵒ8'30'' East Longitude with an area of ± 22.02 km. The research location is an andesite lava hill unit. because the type of rock found at that location is andesite igneous rock. The purpose of this study is to determine the type or type of aquifer. The method used is in the form of collecting surface and subsurface geological data. The method used is the geoelectric method with the Schlumberger configuration. The results of the research for geological mapping of the research location have morphology in the form of volcanic plains and hills with an altitude of 200 meters above sea level. The statigraphic sequence at the research site is sorted from easy to leader, old unit in the form of Andesite and easy unit in the form of alluvial. As for the geological structure that plays a role in the study, the dominant direction is from the north to the south.Groundwater at the research site follows the topography of the research location which flows from south to north where the water flows from upstream to downstream, from high to low elevation points. based on the results of geoelectric research and well water data collection that the aquifer at that location is shallow with alluvial material types, sand and andesite igneous rocks.The type of aquifer at the research site obtained from geoelectric research is a free aquifer type (not compressed) and only has 1 boundary layer, namely andesite igneous rock.

New Insights Into Subsurface Stratigraphy Northwest of Ascraeus Mons, Mars, Using the SHARAD and MARSIS Radar Sounders

AbstractThe Tharsis Montes volcanoes on Mars are the source of laterally extensive lava flows and other volcanic deposits generating a complex stratigraphy throughout the Tharsis Volcanic Province. We use SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) and Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) observations in a region northwest of Ascraeus Mons to determine the composition, density, thickness, and spatial distribution of these emplaced volcanic materials. We identified subsurface reflectors along 43 SHARAD and five MARSIS observations. Reflectors in the volcanic plains are interpreted to be sequences of basaltic lava flows with interspersed pyroclastic material, dust, or regolith during a hiatus in activity. Others correspond to the base of three major flow fields. Several plain reflectors were detected by both MARSIS and SHARAD. Other notable reflectors were identified near Ascraeus' flank where lava buried glacially derived sediment. We derived thickness and other material properties for flows using their distinct topographic boundary visible in the radar images. Permittivity ranged from 7.0 to 11.2 corresponding to lava flow densities of 3.20–3.52 g/cm3. Flow thicknesses ranged from 19.8 to 60.2 m. Loss tangents were low for the flow fields ranging from 0.024 to 0.043. Loss tangents in the plains ranged from 0.010 to 0.076. Higher loss tangents correspond to lossier regions that may have higher concentrations of radar absorbing minerals like hematite. Surface roughness controls where reflectors are detected. SHARAD detects the base of three out of the four flow fields in this region with muted surface roughness from dust mantling and erosion.

Sinuous channels east of Olympus Mons, Mars: Implications for volcanic, hydrological, and tectonic processes

The Late Amazonian volcanic plains east of Olympus Mons contain numerous channels and fossae. Channel formation hypotheses have included volcanic processes, flowing water, or a combination of both. To evaluate these hypotheses, we conducted detailed geomorphological and facies mapping at two sites containing channels and fossae representative of features in the region. Based on our mapping and morphological analyses using high resolution topography and images from HiRISE and CTX data, we classified channels into three types, and fossae into two types. Channel Type 1 and Type 2 are consistent with the morphology of lava channels, however, we found no evidence of channel formation due to thermo-mechanical erosion. Additionally, we calculated the potential for lava to achieve turbulent flow within our two study sites and found it unlikely. Channel Type 3 is consistent with fluvial bedrock erosion, likely sourced from erupted groundwater that entrained regolith into lahar-like flows. Fossae are classified as linear (Type L) or arcuate and branched (Type A). Type L fossae are interpreted to be surface fractures associated with dike emplacement, whereas Type A fossae are interpreted to be surface fractures due to sill emplacement, which may have melted buried ice deposits and generated meltwater floods. Type 1 and Type 2 channels are associated with Type L fossae and fissure-fed effusive eruptions of lava. In contrast, Type 3 channels are co-located with Type A fossae, and are likely due to outbursts of groundwater possibly related to sill emplacement. We attribute the formation and distribution of channels and fossae throughout the plains east of Olympus Mons to be a consequence of the region’s evolving states of stress, which are predominantly influenced by the loading of Olympus Mons.

Chang’E-5 reveals the Moon's secrets to a longer life

The Moon is not only important because it enchants us in the night sky. The Earth-Moon system is critical for Earth's surface environment and even life, with lunar gravity controlling Earth's tides and rate of rotation. The origin of the Moon, from either a giant impact or a shrinking hot debris disk, remains debated and carries implications for either early Earth or even Earth's origin, respectively. The Apollo and Luna missions provided abundant samples informing the earliest lunar history, namely the evolution of the “lunar magma ocean,” where less dense plagioclase crystallized and floated up to the surface, lending most of the lunar surface its white appearance from this anorthositic crust, but the dark patches on the Moon—its “mare” basalts, named for the large “sea” of volcanic plains—record the rest of lunar history.

A seismometer maps Mars’s anatomy

NASA’s InSight is the first mission to explore seismic waves in a planetary body since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Mare Domes in Mare Tranquillitatis: Identification, Characterization, and Implications for Their Origin

AbstractMare domes, small shield volcanoes typically <∼30 km diameter, are part of the spectrum of lunar volcanic features that characterize extrusive basalt deposits. We used new spacecraft data to document these in Mare Tranquillitatis, among the oldest maria and the site commonly interpreted as an ancient degraded non‐mascon impact basin. We found 283 known and suspected mare domes, with the majority (n = 229) concentrated on a broad, ∼450 km circular topographic rise in eastern Mare Tranquillitatis. The domes (median diameter 5.6 km, height 68 m, volume 0.7 km3) contain summit pits (74%; median diameter 0.8 km), and exhibit minor compositional variability between domes and surrounding flows, suggesting that domes both supply and are embayed by these flows. Based on their characteristics and associations, we interpret the small shield volcanoes to have been built from individual low‐volume (<∼10–100 km3), low volatile content, short duration, cooling‐limited eruptions. The ∼450 km broad volcanic rise is ∼920 m high (volume ∼1.6 × 105 km3) and is interpreted to be built from multiple occurrences of small shield eruptions, a shield plains volcanism style. This implies a shallow mantle source region capable of supplying distributed dike‐emplacement and eruption events over an area of 1.75 × 105 km2 early in mare volcanism history (∼3.7 Ga). The difference between Mare Tranquillitatis and younger mare‐filled mascon basins is attributed to the more ancient thermal state and crustal structure of the viscously relaxed Tranquillitatis basin, and a shallower broad magma source region present in earlier lunar thermal history.

Spatial Evolution of the River Valleys under the Influence of Active Volcano: A Case of Merapi Volcanic Plain

Spatial Evolution of the River Valleys under the Influence of Active Volcano: A Case of Merapi Volcanic Plain

Planet Mercury: Volcanism in a theatre of global contraction, with examples from the Hokusai quadrangle

Mercury's geological history has been dominated by global contraction caused by secular cooling of the planet's interior. This cooling has had a profound effect on the expression of the planet's volcanism and tectonism, and the expressions of these two surface evolutionary processes are deeply intertwined. Here, we use case studies from the Hokusai quadrangle of Mercury to gain insight into the interplay between Mercury's volcanism and tectonism, which we review throughout this paper. We perform the first crater size–frequency analysis of the southernmost extent of Borealis Planitia, Mercury's largest expanse of volcanic plains, and find that it formed ~3.8–3.7 Ga. We discuss the importance of “intermediate plains”, a widespread unit in the Hokusai quadrangle, as the manifestation of relatively low-volume effusions with an uncertain stratigraphic relationship with Borealis Planitia. Finally, we detail the formation of the Suge Facula pitted ground during the geological history of Rachmaninoff crater, and hypothesise that such textures probably formed more widely on Mercury but have often either been buried by thick lava flows or otherwise obscured. Unanswered questions in this work can be used to drive the next phase of Mercury exploration and research with the arrival of the BepiColombo mission.