Transcript Geology of the Solar System - PLC-METS

The Solar System
Observe our solar system
Relative sizes and distances
are not to scale!
Four outer planets are
called gas giants
Jupiter
Four inner planets
called terrestrial planets
Mercury
Saturn
Earth
Uranus
Venus
Mars
Neptune
Sun
Other objects
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Observations Using Telescopes
Images of Saturn using various
processing methods
Images of Mars with and
without a dust storm from
the Hubble telescope that
orbits Earth
19.01.a
Using Radar to Study Planetary Surfaces
Radio waves sent from
spacecraft to surface
Waves reflect back
if surface is rough
or faces
spacecraft
Waves bounce away
if surface smooth or
slopes away from
spacecraft
Radar of Venus shows
bright areas (rough) and
darker areas (smooth)
19.01.b
Remotely Observing Temperature and Composition
Measure infrared energy given off: calculate temperature of
surface or mineral composition
Reds show
warmer
areas, blues
are cooler
Blue crater
floor inferred
to be loose
sediment that
cooled quickly
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Exploring the
Surfaces of Other
Planets and Moons
Remotely exploring planets
and moons using landers
Geologist collecting samples
on Moon
19.01.d
Remotely
exploring Mars using rovers
Mars, the Red Planet
Enough atmosphere to
maintain ice caps
Ice cap
Dust
Bedrock
Dust and sand cover
much of surface:
dust storms and
dunes
Evidence of
flowing water
in past
19.03.d
Mostly basalt lava with
some sedimentary rocks
Valles Marineris rift
The Geology of Mars
Largest volcano
Outflow
channels
19.08.a
Slope failures
Dunes in crater
Layered rock
What Have We Learned from Landers and Rovers on Mars?
Investigate
composition,
temperature,
and takes
photos
Mars
rovers
19.08.b
Layered rocks (reflect water?)
Meteorite
Layered rocks
Spheres of hematite
What Can We Observe About a Planet or Moon?
Composition
Atmosphere
Impacts
Tectonics
Volcanism
Erosion and deposition
19.02.a
Impacts and Craters
Impact forms crater and
fractures rocks
Crater surround by
apron of ejected pieces
Object from space collides with
surface, as comet did on Jupiter
19.02.b
How Water and Wind Modify a Planet’s Surface
Weathering and erosion
Deposition
and slope
failures
19.02.d
Wind
What can the abundance of craters tell us about the
age of a surface?
More craters
indicate surface
exposed longer
Smoother surfaces
modified later by
tectonics, volcanism,
erosion, or deposition
Crater abundance
(density) tells us
relative age of
surfaces
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