Discovery Rupes

Discovery Rupes
Feature type	Rupes
Coordinates	56.3°S 38.3°W / -56.3; -38.3
Length	650 km
Eponym	HMS Discovery

Discovery Rupes is an escarpment on Mercury approximately 650 kilometers (400 mi) long and 2 kilometers (6,562 feet) high, located at latitude 56.3 S and longitude 38.3 W. It was formed by a thrust fault, thought to have occurred due to the shrinkage of the planet's core as it cooled over time. The scarp cuts through Rameau crater.

• 

  A prominent scarp, Discovery Rupes, photographed during first Mariner 10 fly-by

• 

  Representation of the thrust fault at Discovery Rupes

References

• "Discovery Rupes (Thrust Fault) Discovery Region, Mercury". The Solar System in 3-D. Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 2006-10-25.