According to the new studies, based on observations brought forth by the NASA spacecraft MESSENGER’s - MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging – most recent flyby of Mercury, the small, rocky planet underwent intense magnetic disturbances that were more extreme than any disturbances on the Earth.

The observations also indicate that Mercury experienced volcanic activity for a much longer period than earlier thought; as well as revealed the occurrence of severe electromagnetic storms in magnetic “tail” - part of the Mercury’s magnetic field – of the planet closest to the Sun.

During its latest flyby, the 2004-launched MESSENGER, which will orbit around Mercury 2011, zoomed within 142 miles of the planet’s surface.

Detailing the new findings in three papers published in the July 15 online edition of the journal Science, the scientists said that the MESSENGER probe discovered that Mercury’s magnetic field – magnetosphere - seemingly releases energy in extremely violent magnetic disturbances, which virtually spike the size as well as the intensity of the planet’s multihued auroras and the outermost Van Allen radiation belt.

Noting that the magnetic field in the magnetosphere’s “tail” apparently rises and falls in strength by a factor of 2 to 3.5 in barely 2-3 minutes, James Slavin - magnetospheric physicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - and his colleagues said that similar ‘sub-storms’ on the Earth build up 10 times less energy than the Mercury sub-storms and take place after nearly an hour.