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Announcements

Join the astronomy class on Astronomy Place to explore the formation and evolution of planets. Learn about the bombardment and differentiation processes, the heating and cooling of planetary interiors, and the importance of planetary size. Discover the characteristics of terrestrial and jovian planets and the role of size in their evolution. Gain insights into planetary interiors, heating mechanisms, cooling processes, and geological activities shaping planetary surfaces. Uncover the evidence of plate tectonics on Earth and Mars, along with the impact of erosion and volcanic activities. Expand your knowledge of planetary evolution basics in this engaging class!

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Announcements

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  1. Announcements • 25 people have still not joined the class on Astronomy Place. You can not get credit until you “join the class”. Once you join, all your previous submissions will show up in my gradebook. • Planet Assignment 4, due Monday March 1, • Part 1: Astronomy Place tutorial “Shaping Planetary Surfaces” • Part 2: Angel Planet Assignment 4

  2. Example of a proto-Planetary Disk

  3. Objectives: • Describe the significance of bombardment in the early solar system. • Compare and contrast the structure & evolution of the terrestrial planets. • Describe the differentiation into core, mantle & crust. • Describe the heating and cooling processes in planetary interiors. Describe the importance of planetary size on its evolution.

  4. Two Types of Planets Terrestrial: small rocky, iron inner Jovian: large H, He, ices outer

  5. When Planets Form - Bombardment & Differentiation • Bombardment of planet as it forms, HEATS and melts its surface • Molten iron and other heavy elements sink toward the center • Falling iron converts gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy -> HEAT

  6. Inside the Terrestrial Worlds • After they have formed, the molten planets differentiate into three zones: • core - made of metals • mantle - made of dense rock • crust - made of less dense rock • Lithosphere - the rigid, outer layer of crust & part of the mantle which does not deform easily

  7. Inside the Terrestrial Worlds

  8. Heating the Planets • Planetary interiors heat up through: • accretion • differentiation • radioactivity Supplies all the heat at the beginning Supplies heat throughout the planet’s life

  9. Cooling the Planets • Planets Cool by Radiating Heat to Space from their Surface • Heat is Transported from the Interior to the Surface by: • conduction - atoms & molecules moving & hitting other atoms & molecules • convection - macroscopic flows: hot material rising & cool material sinking

  10. Convection

  11. Cooling Terrestrial Planets

  12. Role of Planetary SIZE • Larger planets heat more • More iron to flow to center • More radioactive elements to split • Larger planets cool slower • Extra layers provide extra insulation

  13. Role of Planetary Size • Heating proportional to Volume ~ R3 • Cooling proportional to Surface Area ~ R2 • Heating/Cooling ~ Volume/Area ~ R = Size • Smaller Planets Cool Faster & Heat Less(by impacts and splitting of radioactive nuclei)-> Thicker rigid Lithosphere -> Less volcanism & Tectonic Activity

  14. Inside the Terrestrial Worlds active geology inactive geology

  15. How do we Know about the Interior of Earth • Earthquakes make waves • Waves travel through Earth, the higher the density the faster the waves travel • Two types of waves • Back & forth • Side to side

  16. Shaping Planetary Surfaces • Major geological processes that shape planetary surfaces: • impact cratering: excavation of surface by asteroids or comets striking the planet • volcanism: eruption of lava from interior • tectonics: disruption of lithosphere by internal stresses • erosion: wearing down by wind, water, ice

  17. Counting Craters to find Surface Age • Cratering rate decreased as Solar Systems aged. • The older the surface, the more craters are present.

  18. Impact Craters - Mars

  19. Volcanism - Mars Olympus Mons

  20. Olympus Mons

  21. Volcanism - Venus

  22. Plate Tectonics

  23. History of Plate Tectonics • South America and Africa fit together like a jig-saw puzzle, with matching geological formations and fossils • New Idea (Wegner 1912)Continental Drift • Rejected by Geologists • Counter to established ideas • Lack of overwhelming evidence • No mechanism to drive motions

  24. Evidence

  25. Evidence Mid-Atlantic Rift in Iceland Division between North American & European Plates

  26. Mechanism - Mantle Convection

  27. Earth’s Plates

  28. Earth’s Plate Motion

  29. Valles Marinares - Mars

  30. Erosion Mars Evidence for water in past

  31. Erosion Wind

  32. Summary

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