Scientists Find Volatile Outgassing Creating Mercury Streaks

Researchers from the University of Bern and INAF analyzed about 100,000 MESSENGER images (2011–2015) and mapped roughly 400 bright lineae, the team reports in Nature Communications Earth & Environment on January 27, 2026. The streaks cluster on sun-facing slopes of young impact craters and are attributed to volatile-driven outgassing and hollows, indicating ongoing geological activity; BepiColombo observations in late 2026 will enable direct comparison.