Astronomy Chapter 9 – Flashcards

Rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest

What is differentiation in planetary geology

Under what circumstances can differentiation occur in a planet?

When we say that a liquid has a high viscosity, we mean that it

the core, mantle, and crust of a planet are defined by differences in their

the lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

what is the most important factor that determines the thickness, and therefore strength, or the lithosphere?

the terrestrial planet cores contain mostly metal because

which internal energy source produces heat by converting gravitational potential energy into thermal energy

which internal energy source is the most important in continuing to heat the terrestrial planets today?

which of the following best describes convection?

what are the circumstances under which convection can occur in a substance?

the three principal sources of internal heat of terrestrial planets are

the main process by which heat flows upward through the lithosphere is

heat escapes from a planet's surface into space by thermal radiation. Planets radiate almost entirely in the wavelength range of the

which of the following worlds have the thinnest lithospheres?

which of the following best describes why the smaller terrestrial worlds have cooler interiors than the larger ones?

which of the terrestrial worlds has the strongest magnetic field

why does Earth have the strongest magnetic field among the terrestrial worlds?

which of the following most likely explain why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field?

what are the conditions necessary for a terrestrial planet to have a strong magnetic field?

which of the following has virtually no effect on the structure of a planet?

which two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet

which of the following does not have a major effect in shaping planetary surfaces

how large is an impact crater compared to the size of the impactor

the relatively few craters that we see within the lunar maria

when we see a region of a planet that is not as heavily cratered as other regions, we conclude

volcanism is more likely on a planet that

shallow-sloped shield volcanoes are made from lava that

steep-sided stratovolcanoes are made from lava that

what type of stresses broke Earth's lithosphere into plates?

which of the following describes tectonics?

which of the following describes volcanism

which of the following describes impact cratering?

which of the following describes impact cratering

a planet is most likely to have tectonic activity if it has

what kind of surface features may result from tectonics?

what is basalt

how did the lunar maria form?

why does the Moon have a layer of powdery "soil" on its surface?

The Caloris Basin on Mercury covers a large region of the planet, but few smaller craters have formed on top of it. From this we conclude that

why do we think Mercury has so many tremendous cliffs?

Olympus Mons is

Valles Marineris is a

Which of the following does not provide evidence that Mars once had flowing?

The polar caps on Mars are composed of

how have we been able to construct detailed maps of surface features on Venus

Which two geological processes appear to have been most important in shaping the present surface of venus?

which of the following show evidence of ancient river bed?

Spacecraft have landed on all the terrestrial worlds except

What process has shaped Earth's surface more than any other?

Why are there fewer large craters on the seafloor than on the continents?

how does seafloor crust differ from continental crust?

why is continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

which of the following is not evidence for plate tectonics on Earth?

How fast do plates move on Earth?

How long, approximately, do geologists estimate it takes for the entire seafloor to be replaced due to plate tectonics?

What drives the motion of the tectonic plates on Earth?

Ridges in the middle of the ocean are places where

deep trenches in the ocean mark places where

some of the oldest continental crust on Earth lies in

which of the following regions was the result of plumes of hot mantle rising in a hot spot within a plate?

The geysers and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park result from

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

from center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world?

What do we mean when we say that the terrestrial worlds underwent differentiation?

a terrestrial world's lithosphere is

the major processes that heat the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are

which of the following is an example of convection

What are the basic requirements for a terrestrial world to have a global magnetic field?

in general, which things below are affected by a magnetic field?

which of the following best describes the lunar maria?

in the context of planetary geology, what do we mean by outgassing?

which of the following is not an example of tectonics?

why does the moon have a layer of "powdery soil" on its surface

what observational evidence supports the idea that Mercury once shrank by some 20 kilometers in radius?

Olympus Mons is

which of the following does not provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface?

Based on its surface features, the most important event on Venus in the past billion years or so was

on average, how fast do the plates move on Earth

how does seafloor crust differ from continental crust

in the context of plate tectonics, what is a subduction zone

which of the following places is the result of volcanoes erupting over a hot spot in the mantle?

the cores of the terrestrial worlds are made mostly of metal because

which of the following is not generally true of all the terrestrial world lithospheres?

which internal heat source still generates heat within the terrestrial worlds today?

the reason that small planets tend to lose interior heat faster than larger planets is essentially the same as the reason that

suppose we had a device that allowed us to see Earth's interior. If we looked at a typical region of the mantle, what would we see happening?

Recent evidence suggests that Mars once had a global magnetic field. Assuming this is true, which of the following could explain why Mars today lacks a global magnetic field like that of Earth?

which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a global magnetic field like Earth?

You discover an impact crater that is 10 kilometers across. Which of the following can you conclude?

Most of the Moon's surface is densely covered with craters, but we find relatively few craters with lunar maria. What can we conclude?

which of the following is the underlying reason why Venus has so little wind erosion?

which of the following best describes the geological histories of the Moon and Mercury

many scientists suspect that Venus has a stronger and thicker lithosphere than Earth. If this is true, which of the following could explain?

all of the following statements about Venus are true. Which one offers evidence of a global repaving about a billion years ago?

what are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

why are there fewer large impact craters on the Earth's seafloor than on the continents?

Why is Earth's continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

Which two factors are most important to the existence of plate tectonics on Earth?

what is the fundamental reason that Mars, unlike Earth, has become virtually geologically dead?

Based on all we know about the terrestrial worlds, what single factor appears to play the most important role in a terrestrial planet's geological density?

The choices below describe four hypothetical planets. Which one would you expect to have the hottest interior? (Assume the planets orbit a star just like the Sun and that they are all the same age as the planets in our solar system.)

the choices below describe four hypothetical planets. which one's surface would you expect to be most crowded with impact craters? (Assume the planets orbit a star just like the Sun and that they are all

The choices below describe four hypothetical planets. Which one would you expect to have the most features of erosion? (Assume the planets orbit a star just like the Sun and that they are all the same age as the planets in our solar system.)