Mercury Surface Geology

The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s lithosphere (top layer of the Earth’s crust) is split up into rigid sections called plates that are moving relative to one another as they move on top of the underlying semi-molten mantle. These plates are either continental, The North American Plate, or oceanic, The Nazca Plate.

Geology is an overall study of planet Earth—“its composition, structure, process, and history” (Shipman, Todd, & Wilson 602). Geology also plays a role in the study of the Moon and other solar system objects is primarily the province of astronomy. “None of the remarkable scientific advances of the twentieth century revealed with certainty the composition and structure of the Earth’s interior” (603). Present ideas presently rest on indirect evidence provided by earthquake body waves, their speed and direction identifying the types of materials through which they move, meteorites whose composition is believed to be similar to the Earth’s, spacecraft measurements of gravity and magnetic variations, and laboratory

The theory of plate tectonics states that Earth’s outer shell is divided into plates. The crust and upper mantle is broken into plates that move around on the mantle, changing in size throughout time. The lithosphere makes up the crust and upper mantle and the asthenosphere a plastic like layer beneath the lithosphere. There are three types of plate boundaries. Divergent boundaries where two plates move away from each other. The ocean widens and new crust forms at the mid-oceanic ridge. Convergent boundaries has three types of converging, moving two plates towards each other. First we have an ocean floor plate that collides with a less dense continental plate. Next an ocean floor plate collides with another ocean floor plate. Finally a continental plate collides with another continental plate. Transform boundaries were two plates slide past one another. The resulting effects of plate tectonics is landforms such as rift valleys,

The atmosphere on Venus is composed of mostly Carbon dioxide with small amounts of nitrogen and sulphuric acid. This composition causes a runaway greenhouse gas effect that makes the planet even hotter than Mercury, despite the fact that Mercury is much closer to the sun. The air on Venus is incredibly dense due to the Nitrogen content, which, whilst admittedly is only a small part of the atmospheric composition, is at least four times the amount on Earth. This Atmospheric composition therefore creates a thick layer of

The air is not breathable by humans! Venus's atmosphere also contains traces of extra compounds and elements, such as neon, argon, carbon monoxide, and helium. Atmospheric pressure is over 90 times heavier than that of Earth; sheer crushing power. Clouds of sulfuric acid lay above a layer of carbon dioxide near the crust. These sulfuric clouds block most Muggle attempts to see Venus. On Venus, the climate changes all the time, from an extremely cold temperature to an extremely hot one. The temperature ranges from -364 to 870 degrees Fahrenheit. Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System, and yet it is Mercury that is the closest planet to the Sun, Venus being second in

Venus' atmosphere is made up of mostly carbon dioxide and some nitrogen. There are also traces of carbon monoxide, argon, helium and neon on the planet. All of these elements make Venus' atmospheric pressure more then 90 percent heavier then the Earth. Closest to the surface is a layer of carbon dioxide, which is covered by a layer of clouds which makes it hard to make out the planet.

Scientists examined the Venusian atmosphere and found out that above the clouds the temperature is about 13oC, in contrast, at the surface of Venus the temperature gets as high as 465oC. It is believed that the principle cause of the extreme surface temperature is the consequence abundant carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Scientists concluded that Venusian atmosphere undergoes greenhouse effect. In essence, the heat delivered from the Sun enter the atmosphere and is radiated out, then again, it does not leave the atmosphere due to its heavy clouds that impede it from such. For this reason, Venus’ surface temperature is higher than that on Mercury – higher than any other planet! – leaving no chance of life.

As the second furthest planet from the sun, Venus' climate is very high, and is actually the hottest in the solar system. This is due to runaway greenhouse gases, which have increased the temperature of the planet greatly, as it is once thought that Venus had a similar climate to that of Earth.

The planet's atmosphere is also surrounded by thick, acidic, sulfuric clouds. The atmospheric pressure is approximately 90 times that of Earth, and the atmosphere is made up mainly of carbon dioxide, with the remaining 3.5% taken up with nitrogen and a few other elements. The thick sulfuric clouds surrounding the planet make it difficult to view the surface with any accuracy, and the huge pressure and heat below the clouds mean that the atmosphere is not conducive for human-made crafts to survive in the climate. Venus's atmosphere is in constant circulation of the planet, circling it in a mere 4 Earth days. The winds near the atmosphere of Venus are approximately 220mph in order to facilitate this speedy atmospheric rotation, although the winds on the surface are much much slower. In summary, Venus would be a bad (and unpleasant) choice for human habitation, due to enormous levels of atmospheric pressure, very high temperatures, and sulfuric acid

Mercury's surface is heavily cratered. There are two distinct types of craters that can be observed on Mercury's surface; the more common impact crater - formed during asteroid impact, and pit craters - formed from the collapse of subterranean magma chambers. The former, impact craters, are typically more circular in shape and are accompanied by high ridges around the perimeter of the impact where debris from the impact was ejected. The latter, pit craters, are more irregular in shape and do not have the perimeter ridges. On the smoother plains of the surface compression folds can be seen, these are thought to be caused by the cooling of Mercury's core causing the surface to contract. The surface of Mercury consists of dark porous rock and because

Because of this composition, the atmospheric pressure of Venus is considered to be 90 times heavier than that of Earth. Also, due to is high concentration, carbon dioxide is one of the only atomic substances found close to Venus' surface. However, above this lies clouds comprised of sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid. Due to the harsh and concentrated nature of Venus' atmosphere, the planet is considered to be one of the hottest planets in our solar system, despite Mercury being the closest to the Sun. Greenhouse gases have amassed beneath the layers of carbon dioxide and sulfurous clouds, causing the ambient temperature of Venus to range from -364 to 870 degrees

After the sun sets, the planet Mercury is out. The telescope rocks back and forth from the wind, but a small charm is cast and it stabilizes. The brightness of the moon is distracting to the plain eye, but this telescope was enchanted to focus. With the light dying and the wind whipping around the Astronomy Tower, you'd think it would be hard to see the details of Mercury, but the planet was in perfect view. The surface of the planet looked like a burn victims skin, craters upon craters devoured the graying celestial object. Boulders covered the area that was smooth and the bottom of the pits. Mercury's craters had formed in paths that looked almost like rivers flowing on the surface, which, upon closer inspection, proved to be almost accurate.

Venus is the 2nd planet from the Sun. Venus' reflective nature and close proximity to Earth are major factors in it's being one of the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and Earth's moon. It is often referred to as

Due to runaway greenhouse effect that irrevocably changed the conditions on Venus, the climate of the planet can be called truly hellish: the temperature on Venus can go up to 870 degrees Fahrenheit and the pressure equals that of about a kilometer under Earth’s oceans. Thick sulfuric clouds downpour constant acid rains on the surface that are immediately evaporated. The winds at the surface are slow but they are carrying around considerable amount of dust and rocks. However the atmosphere of Venus is layered and at about 50-65 km above the surface the temperature, pressure and the atmosphere composition closely resembles that of the Earth and is practically “habitable”. That makes it a possible place for exploration and maybe even

Although, Venus is considered by many to be the twin to our planet, Earth, it’s almost impossible for that to be determined, there is much we don’t know about the planet, but what we do know, the information points to the fact that it’s not. There is no prefect day on Venus, first, because it is surrounded by dense layers of clouds that are forty miles thick. Venus does reflect about eighty percent of the Sun’s radiation, however, the carbon dioxide which is about ninety- five percent of the atmosphere traps in heat which practically bakes the