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Terrestrial Planets

Terrestrial Planets. Planetary size and heat loss. Large planets retain internal heat longer Small planets cool off quickly. Geologic processes. Impact cratering Volcanism Tectonics Erosion. Discussion.

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Terrestrial Planets

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  1. Terrestrial Planets

  2. Planetary size and heat loss Large planets retain internal heat longer Small planets cool off quickly

  3. Geologic processes • Impact cratering • Volcanism • Tectonics • Erosion

  4. Discussion The Moon has lots of impact craters, while the Earth has very few. Why do you think there is a difference?

  5. Surface age The more impact craters on a surface, the older that surface is. The age of a surface refers to when that surface solidified.

  6. Discussion Which area on the Moon is older, the light region to the left or the dark region in the center of the picture?

  7. Discussion Why do you think a more heavily cratered planetary surface is older than a smooth one?

  8. Why? All the terrestrial planets probably receive about the same number and size distribution of impacts. All the other geologic processes (volcanism, tectonics, and erosion) tend to erase impact craters on the surface.

  9. Discussion Rank the terrestrial planets (include the Moon) in terms of the age of their surfaces from youngest to oldest to try and predict which planets will have the most craters.

  10. Earth • Venus • Mars • Mercury • Moon • Smaller planets retain less heat and therefore have less geologic activity.

  11. Discussion Almost all impact creators are round. Why do you think there are not many elliptically shaped craters?

  12. Almost all impact craters are round In general, impactors will hit with a velocity greater than the escape velocity. The high speed collision results in the almost complete vaporization of the impactor. This explosion of super-heated, vaporized rock is what creates the crater.

  13. Moltke Crater (7 km)

  14. Bessel crater (16 km)

  15. Euler Crater (25 km)

  16. King Crater (77 km)

  17. Copernicus Crater (95 km)

  18. Schrodinger (320 km)

  19. Mare Orientale (930 km)

  20. Mare Imbrium (1100 km)

  21. Meteor Crater (1.2 km)

  22. Arizona from the Shuttle

  23. Wolf Creek (0.85 km)

  24. New Quebec Crater (3.4 km)

  25. Clearwater Lakes (26 km)

  26. Chichxulub Crater (250 km)

  27. Manicouagan Crater (100 km)

  28. Discussion Why is the Manicouagan crater inverted, with a lower rim and higher center? Hint: It is at high northern latitude and is rather old.

  29. Radar images of Venus Bright areas in radar images indicate rough terrain, while dark areas are smooth. Typically, rough terrain is younger than smooth terrain.

  30. Discussion Why are rough areas younger?

  31. Adivar Venus (29 km)

  32. Meitner basin Venus (150 km)

  33. Discussion What does the fact that there are so few eroded craters tell you about Venus?

  34. Plate Tectonics

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