How Sulfide-Rich Mercury Inhibits the Formation of Smooth Plains on the Planet's Surface
It’s been long known that the presence of sulfide in the environment has an inhibitory effect on mercury emissions, but new research has shown that it also plays a role in the formation of smooth plains on the planet’s surface.
In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have demonstrated that sulfide minerals in the surface of certain rocky planets can prevent the formation of craters, creating vast, flat plains instead. Using data from eons of impacts on Mars and Earth, the team was able to show that the presence of sulfur-bearing minerals such as gypsum and anhydrite can reduce the amount of energy released when an asteroid or comet hits the surface, preventing the formation of large craters.
source: Phys.org