How to detect the extent of gravity crustal sources on terrestrial planets

How to detect the extent of gravity crustal sources on terrestrial planets | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article How to detect the extent of gravity crustal sources on terrestrial planets Salvatore Buoninfante, Maurizio Milano, Maurizio Fedi, Valentina Galluzzi, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9075875/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Boundary analysis methods have been widely used in applied geophysics to properly delimit the edges of sources of potential field anomalies. Here, we revise some of the conventional edge-detection techniques in planetary application and adapt the Total Horizontal Derivative (THD) method to spherical harmonic gravity field models. After comparing the different methods on dataset generated from synthetic sources, we find that THD is more effective and simpler for defining the structural features of sources. We also show how to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and dampen the Gibbs effect, which is even more evident when computing the gradients of the gravity field. We first present and discuss global THD maps of Mercury, Moon, Mars and Venus, which contain information on the location of the main crustal sources and structures. Then, a specific boundary analysis performed in the Victoria quadrangle of Mercury reveals that the major tectonic structures bordering the high-Mg region identified on the surface cut the entire crust, down to the crust-mantle interface. Such analysis also confirms that the Victoria-Endeavour-Antoniadi fault array is instead characterized by shallow-dipping structures. This work shows that the THD is particularly effective for identifying buried impact basins, delimiting the extent of magmatic intrusions, and detecting shallow or deep tectonic structures on terrestrial planets. Planetary Science Geophysics Boundary analysis Source edge detection Total Horizontal Derivative Terrestrial planets Gravity crustal sources Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9075875","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":603324034,"identity":"894e62d3-c17b-4b8d-9422-4f077108b0e8","order_by":0,"name":"Salvatore 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