Mercury's Northern Rise Core-Field Magnetic Anomaly

Abstract

We use magnetic field data collected in orbit around Mercury by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging satellite, to detect a regional magnetic field anomaly that is spatially associated with Mercury's Northern Rise topographic signature. Regional spectral analysis indicates a source depth at or below the core-mantle boundary, and hence the anomaly is of core, not crustal, origin. This observation supports previous studies linking the Northern Rise to a deep-seated gravity anomaly and reveals connections among core, mantle, and crustal dynamics, likely enabled by Mercury's thin mantle.