7.14: Characteristics of the Solar System’s Rocky Planets
- Page ID
- 64130
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Mercury
Characteristic — Current State
- Impact Craters — Yes
- Tectonic Craters — Yes; not active
- Volcanoes — Yes; not active
- Atmosphere — No real atmosphere
- Water — Yes; water and ice in craters at the poles
- Erosion — No
- Dunes — No
- Polar Caps — No
- Satellites — No
- Life — Unknown
The Bottom Line…
- Looks like the Moon; heavily cratered
- No real atmosphere
- No seasons
Venus
Characteristic — Current State
- Impact Craters — Yes
- Tectonic Craters — Yes
- Volcanoes — Yes; over 1,600 volcanoes – most on one body in the Solar System
- Atmosphere — Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4), High Pressure, Clouds, Odd Polar Vortex
- Water — No
- Erosion — Yes
- Dunes — Yes
- Polar Caps — No
- Satellites — No
- Life — Unknown
The Bottom Line…
- Called Earth’s twin
- Extreme Greenhouse effect
- Rains sulfuric acid
- Polar Vortex
Earth
Characteristic — Current State
- Impact Craters — Yes
- Tectonic Craters — Yes
- Volcanoes — Yes
- Atmosphere — Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O 2 ), Clouds, Rain, Snow
- Water — Vapor, Liquid, and Ice → Primarily a water planet
- Erosion — Yes
- Dunes — Yes
- Polar Caps — Yes
- Satellites — One, Moon
- Life — Yes
The Bottom Line…
- Water Planet
- Big moon – double planet
- Life everywhere
Moon
Characteristic — Current state
- Craters
- Evidence of past volcanic, tectonic activity
- No atmosphere
- Water ice found in a lunar south pole crater
- Probably formed from a collision with Earth
- Looks like Mercury…
Mars
Characteristic — Current State
- Impact Craters — Yes; a very large impact crater Borealis Basin (largest known in the Solar System), 6,600 miles across
- Tectonic Craters — Yes, still active?
- Volcanoes — Yes, not active; One of the largest volcanoes in the Solar System; Olympus Mons
- Atmosphere — Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ), Low Pressure, Clouds, Snow, Dust devils, Dust storms, Slight traces of Methane (CH 4 )
- Water — Both liquid & water ice
- Subsurface liquid water aquifers?
- 2% water in soil
- Erosion — Yes
- Dunes — Yes
- Polar Caps — Yes
- Satellites — Two; Deimos and Phobos
- Life — Unknown; we are actively searching for life
The Bottom Line…
- Is liquid water still flowing?
- Very light compared to Venus and Earth (less dense)
- Life?
Deimos and Phobos
Characteristic — Current state
- Craters
- No Atmosphere
- Very small
- Captured asteroids or result of collisions with Mars
Consider this…
How did elementary school kids used to remember the order of the planets from the Sun? A simple mnemonic: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas! (Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto) But with the demotion of Pluto as a full planet, the pizzas went away, so now it is My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos!