We have investigated the interplanar relaxation of the clean (0001)-(1
x 1) surface of magnesium at 100 K using a dynamical LEED I-V analysi
s. In contrast to almost all other metal surfaces, an expansion has be
en observed for the first interlayer spacing of this clean surface. Us
ing an extended database, the results indicate that the first three in
terlayer spacings are relaxed from the bulk value by: DELTAd12 = +1.9
+/- 0.3%, DELTAd23 = +0.8 +/- 0.4%, and DELTAd34 = -0.4 +/- 0.5%. A co
mparison of this observed multilayer relaxation with experimental and
theoretical results for similar free-electron closepacked metal surfac
es, e.g. Al(111), suggests that a surface expansion is a normal proper
ty of high electron density simple metals.