Astronomy Chapter 9

Suppose we use a baseball to represent Earth. On this scale, the other terrestrial worlds (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars) would range in size approximately from that of
Click the card to flip 👆
1 / 20
Terms in this set (20)
Suppose we use a baseball to represent Earth. On this scale, the other terrestrial worlds (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars) would range in size approximately from that of
a golf ball to a baseball
From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world?
core, mantle, crust
What do we mean when we say that the terrestrial worlds underwent differentiation?
When their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces.
A terrestrial world's lithosphere is
a layer of relatively strong, rigid rock, encompassing the crust and part of the mantle
The major processes that heat the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are
(1) heat deposited as the planets were built from planetesimals; (2) heat deposited as the planets underwent differentiation; (3) heat released by radioactive decay
What are the basic requirements for a terrestrial world to have a global magnetic field?
a core layer of molten, convecting material and sufficiently rapid rotation
What is the longest-lasting internal heat source responsible for geological activity?
radioactive decay
Which of a planet's fundamental properties has the greatest effect on its level of volcanic and tectonic activity?
size
Which of the following is NOT an example of tectonics?
the gradual disappearance of a crater rim as a result of wind and rain
Which of the following best describes the lunar maria
relatively smooth,flat plains on the moon
Which of the following does NOT provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface?the presence of canali, discovered in the late 1800s by Giovanni Schiaparelli and mapped by Percival LowellBased on its surface features, the most important event on Venus in the past billion years or so wasa global "repaving" that erased essentially all the surface features that had existed earlierIn the context of plate tectonics, what is a subduction zone?a place where a seafloor plate is sliding under a continental plateWhich of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field?its rotation is too slowVolcanism is more likely on a planet thathas high internal temperaturesSteep-sided stratovolcanoes are made from lava thathas a high viscoscitySpacecraft have landed on all the terrestrial worlds exceptMercuryErosion is the most important geological process on VenusFalseEarth is the only terrestrial planet to have experienced tectonic stresses and volcanic activity.FalseVery high pressures, like those found deep within planetary interiors, can compress rocks so much that they stay solid even when temperatures are high enough to melt them under ordinary conditionsTrue