水星表面的暗斑是最近探测新发现的地质单元，记录了水星演化历史中尚未被认知的重要地质过程，对于认识水星的形成和演化具有重要意义。暗斑是水星表面反照率最低的地质单元；已发现的暗斑大多非常年轻，每个暗斑都有与之共生的和壳层挥发分活动有关的白晕凹陷。受早期观测数据覆盖率和分辨率的限制，对暗斑的成因机制尚无定论。本项目拟使用信使号获取的高分辨率影像、反照率光谱和激光高程数据，(1)搜索并建立水星暗斑的全球数据库, (2)综合分析暗斑的形貌、反照率光谱、年龄和区域地质特征，(3)使用象元匹配技术分析暗斑在4年内发生变化的可能性, (4)使用相比率分析技术对比暗斑与水星表面其他碎屑物质的相对粒径信息, (5)结合暗斑与白晕凹陷和其他地质单元的空间对应关系；最终揭示暗斑的可能成因机制。暗斑的成因机制为研究水星浅表层挥发分活动的规律提供新的证据，为研究水星表面的暗色物质提供新的视角。

Dark spots on Mercury are a newly found geological unit, but their formation mechanism is still unknown. Dark spots have recorded important information about the origin and evolution of Mercury. Dark spots are small surface units that have the lowest reflectance on Mercury, and the reflectance spectra exhibit a shallow absorption feature at the 500–600 nm wavelengths. Most of the observed dark spots are located on areas that have relatively low reflectance compared with the global average. Some dark spots are extremely young, and each dark spot has an associated bright-haloed hollows. However, due to limited data coverage and resolution in previous studies, the formation mechanism of dark spots is still unknown. This proposal is determined to use the high-resolution image, reflectance spectra, and altimeter data to study the global distribution pattern, detailed morphology, geometry, reflectance spectra, age and geological background of dark spots. Using high-precision pixel registration technique, possible changes of dark spots will be studied; phase ratio analyses will be performed to study the relative particle sizes of dark spots and other mercurian clasts. Combined with the spatial relationship of dark spots and other geological units (such as bright-haloed hollows) on Mercury, the final target of this proposal is to study the formation mechanism of Mercury. This study will provide new perspective for studying possible causes for the low reflectance on Mercury and the activity of volatiles in the shallow crust of Mercury.