New research from Rice University reveals that sulfur—not water or carbon—is the key driver behind Mercury’s unusual geology.

By recreating its oxygen-poor environment with meteorite-based melts, scientists found that sulfur dramatically lowers magma crystallization temperatures, allowing vast oceans of molten rock to persist far longer than expected. This process reshaped the planet’s crust, explaining its iron-poor, sulfur-rich surface and distinct volcanic history.

The findings challenge Earth-centric models and offer a new framework for understanding geology on reduced, alien worlds.

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