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Exploring the Terrestrial Planets: Earth, Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Venus

Discover the fascinating details of Earth and its neighbors in the solar system, including geological features, atmospheres, and unique characteristics. Compare similarities and differences between Mars, Venus, and Earth, and delve into the mysteries of Martian geology and the runaway greenhouse effect. Uncover the secrets of water on Mars, the lunar landscape, and the formation of terrestrial planets.

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Exploring the Terrestrial Planets: Earth, Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Venus

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  1. The Solar System

  2. Terrestrial Planets

  3. Earth • Average distance from the Sun: 1.00 AU • Radius: 6,378 km • Mass: 5.97 × 1024kg • Avg. density: 5.52 g/cm3 • Composition: rocks, metals • Average surface temperature: 290 K • Satellites: 1

  4. Earth’s Structure • Core – highest-density material, mostly Ni & Fe • Mantle – moderate density, mostly Si, O, etc. • Crust – lowest-density rock, granite & basalt

  5. Structure

  6. Internal Heat Formation Geological Activity Convection and Cooling • Caused by accretion and collisions during formation • Also due to radioactive material • Differentiation

  7. Magnetic Field • Caused by the motion of charged particles in Earth’s molten outer core • Magnetosphere protects us from solar wind

  8. Shaping Earth’s Surface • Cratering • Volcanism • Tectonics • Erosion

  9. Earth’s Atmosphere • 77% N2, 21% O2 • Protection • X-rays are absorbed high up in the atmosphere • Ozone absorbs UV • Visible light gets through no problem

  10. Earth’s Atmosphere Scattering • Blue light is scattered more easily than red light • Sky is blue because sunlight gets scattered to your eye from all directions • Sun look red at sunrise/set because blue light gets scattered away

  11. Greenhouse Effect 5800 K H2O CO2 CH4 Visible Light IR Light 300 K Ground

  12. Geologically Dead Objects

  13. The Moon • Average distance from the Earth: 384,000 km • Radius: 1,700 km • Mass: 7.3 × 1022 kg • Avg. density: 3.35 g/cm3 • Period: 29.5 days

  14. Geological Features Lunar Maria Micrometeorites

  15. Mercury • Average distance from the Sun: 0.39 AU • Radius: 2,440 km = 0.38REarth • Mass: 0.055 MEarth • Avg. density: 5.43 g/cm3 • Composition: rocks, metals • Average surface temperature: 700 K day, 100 K night • Satellites: 0 • 88 day orbit, 59 day rotation

  16. Geological Features One giant crater called “Caloris Basin”

  17. Mars • Average distance from the Sun: 1.52 AU • Radius: 3,397 km = 0.53REarth • Mass: 0.11 MEarth • Avg. density: 3.93 g/cm3 • Composition: rocks, metals • Average surface temperature: 225 K • Satellites: 2

  18. Mars vs. Earth Similarities Differences More extreme seasons in southern hemisphere Polar caps contain CO2 Only about 1% of Earth’s atmosphere, which is CO2 Much colder • Day is about 25 hours long • Polar caps • Axis tilted about the same Perhaps it was more similar long ago

  19. Martian Geology

  20. Martian Geology • Polar ice caps • Higher elevation of southern hemisphere • Lack of craters in northern hemisphere • Tharsis Bulge, Valles Marineris

  21. Martian Geology • Olympus Mons • The largest volcano in the solar system • Base covers an area equal to Arizona • 26 km above average surface level, 3x the size of Mt. Everest

  22. Water on Mars • Today the surface temperature and pressure to too low for liquid water • Polar caps • Ground water • Evidence of ancient H2O • Dried Riverbeds • Maybe not • Signs of erosion

  23. What happened?

  24. Venus • Average distance from the Sun: 0.72 AU • Radius: 6,51 km = 0.95REarth • Mass: 0.82 MEarth • Avg. density: 5.24 g/cm3 • Composition: rocks, metals • Average surface temperature: 740 K • Satellites: 0

  25. Venusian Geology • Craters, volcanoes, tectonics somewhat similar to Earth • Coronae – bulges made by hot, rising plumes of mantle • No plate tectonics

  26. Venusian Atmosphere • Atmosphere about 90x as thick as Earths • Made up of about 96% carbon dioxide, but virtually no water • Why should the atmosphere be different from Earth’s?

  27. Why are the atmosphere’s different? Earth Venus Lacking water Explains why there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: cannot dissolve and become rock Where did the water go? UV light breaks up molecule • Water rained into oceans • CO2 dissolved into water and then formed into carbonate rocks • Including the rocks, Earth has about as much carbon dioxide as Venus

  28. Runaway Greenhouse Effect

  29. Life What is necessary?

  30. A few examples • Liquid Water • Atmospheric Oxygen • Climate Stability • Planetary Size • Must be large enough so it doesn’t cool too quickly, preventing tectonics • Distance from Sun • Liquid Water

  31. The CO2 Cycle

  32. Global Climate Change

  33. Global Climate Change

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