View of a Scarp A common tectonic feature found on Mercury is a
scarp, or steep cliff, such as the one extending across the
length of this image. Though common on Mercury, long, globally
distributed scarps like this are not common on the other planets
in the Solar System. It is believed that the scarps formed due
to Mercury's thermal history. Date acquired: December 31, 2011
Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington