Mercury: Local photometric relief as roughness index

Probable variations of the photometric relief types were revealed by processing images obtained during the Mariner 10 flyby of Mercury. According to the data analysis, three main types of photometric relief were distinguished corresponding to different morphological types of the Mercurian surface formations. The relation between the morphologic types and the properties of the surface structure of the material mantling the Mercurian surface was revealed with the use of the morphological studies.