IAU descriptor term
Dorsa in the Solar System
Dorsum is the term planetary geologists use for a ridge. 184 named features carry it, across 8 of the 14 mapped worlds, the largest being Vedma Dorsa on Venus at 3,345 km.
Where they are
Venuslargest: Vedma Dorsa, 3,345 km99The Moonlargest: Dorsum Buckland, 369 km39Marslargest: Phlegra Dorsa, 2,819 km37Vestalargest: Lavinium Dorsum, 96.4 km3Mercurylargest: Schiaparelli Dorsum, 374 km2Enceladuslargest: Cufa Dorsa, 90 km2Phoboslargest: Kepler Dorsum, 15 km1Ryugulargest: Ryujin Dorsum, 3.2 km1
The largest dorsa anywhere
Ranked across every mapped world, by catalogued diameter.
1Vedma DorsaVenus3,345 km2Phlegra DorsaMars2,819 km3Unelanuhi DorsaVenus2,600 km4Nuvakchin DorsaVenus2,200 km5Rokapi DorsaVenus2,200 km6Iris DorsaVenus2,050 km7Lemkechen DorsaVenus2,000 km8Arcadia DorsaMars1,953 km9Nephele DorsaVenus1,937 km10Kotsmanyako DorsaVenus1,900 km11Sinanevt DorsaVenus1,800 km12Ahsonnutli DorsaVenus1,708 km13Vejas mate DorsaVenus1,600 km14Lukelong DorsaVenus1,566 km15Lauma DorsaVenus1,517 km16Poludnitsa DorsaVenus1,500 km17Tinianavyt DorsaVenus1,500 km18Sacra DorsaMars1,416 km19Etain DorsaVenus1,400 km20Saule DorsaVenus1,375 km21Metelitsa DorsaVenus1,300 km22Pandrosos DorsaVenus1,254 km23Aditi DorsaVenus1,200 km24Barbale DorsaVenus1,200 km25Kastiatsi DorsaVenus1,200 km26Okipeta DorsaVenus1,200 km27Yalyane DorsaVenus1,200 km28Nambi DorsumVenus1,125 km29Kuldurok DorsaVenus1,100 km30Laverna DorsaVenus1,100 km
What they are named after
Naming themes are set per world, so one descriptor can draw on very different sources depending on where it sits. Across all 184 dorsa, 60 categories appear.
Greek28Latin13American10Slavic9Siberia8Great Britain8Italy6Roman6