Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets...
-
Upload
berniece-greene -
Category
Documents
-
view
229 -
download
0
Transcript of Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets...
![Page 1: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Catastrophic Events in the
Solar System
Catastrophic Events in the
Solar SystemThere are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the
occurrence of VERY LARGE impacts that have drastically altered the character of the solar
system. These events are unpredictable and not adequately accounted for in the standard model
of planet formation (Solar Nebula Theory).
There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the
occurrence of VERY LARGE impacts that have drastically altered the character of the solar
system. These events are unpredictable and not adequately accounted for in the standard model
of planet formation (Solar Nebula Theory).
![Page 2: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Catastrophic Events: EarthCatastrophic Events: Earth
• The formation of the Moon is now accepted to be due to a grazing collision of a Mars-sized planet with the early Earth after the Earth’s core had formed (Step 6 in the standard model). The collision destroyed the impacting planet and the ejecta re-accreted to form the Moon.
• The moon has three important physical properties that any formation scenario must predict.
• The formation of the Moon is now accepted to be due to a grazing collision of a Mars-sized planet with the early Earth after the Earth’s core had formed (Step 6 in the standard model). The collision destroyed the impacting planet and the ejecta re-accreted to form the Moon.
• The moon has three important physical properties that any formation scenario must predict.
![Page 3: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
First, the density of
the Moon is 3.3 gm/cm3, substantially less than the Earth’s bulk density, but similar to
the density of the
Earth’s crust and upper
mantle.
![Page 4: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Second, Moon rocks are
depleted in iron. There is much
less iron in Moon rocks than
in the rocks found on the
Earth’s surface.
![Page 5: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Third, Moon rocks are devoid of bound water. Even meteorites have up to 5% water bound into the mineral
structures. The Moon has no water in its rocks.
![Page 6: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Earth after its iron core has formed
A Mars-sized planet on a grazing
collision course with the Earth.
The Hypothesized Collision that Formed the Moon
![Page 7: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Whamo!
Crust and upper mantle
material is ejected into Earth orbit
The Hypothesized Collision that Formed the Moon
![Page 8: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
The Hypothesized Collision that Formed the MoonThe iron core of
the impacting body does not
escape but falls back into the Earth to join the Earth’s
core.
![Page 9: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The Hypothesized Collision that Formed the MoonThe lighter
material from the Earth’s crust and mantle has been heated so
much during the impact that the
bound water has vaporized and
escaped.
![Page 10: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
The Hypothesized Collision that Formed the MoonEarth’s new Moon has formed from the iron poor and dried out crust and upper mantle
rocks of the Earth and its impactor.
![Page 11: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Interior
of the
Moon
Notice the relatively small
iron core
![Page 12: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Venus
Earth Mars
Mercury
Moon
The Moon’s relatively small iron core bulk geology are consistent with a birth by a violent collision
![Page 14: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
The Moon preserves a record of
catastrophic events itself. This multi-ring impact basin on the
Moon is called Mare
Oriental.
![Page 15: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
The impact portrayed in this artist’s impression is far smaller than the impact that created our Moon.
![Page 16: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
The currently accepted scenario for the Moon’s formation would not have been possible with the
aggressive exploration of the Moon and other planets.
![Page 17: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Ganymede is a natural satellite the size of Mercury. Its surface preserves the evidence of a giant impact
that formed this multi-ring basin called Vahalla.
Recent impact craters reveal the clean ice that makes up most of this moons mass.
![Page 18: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
This small natural satellite called
Miranda has surprising
surface features for an object its
size (236 km radius).
![Page 19: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Miranda has both ancient
cratered terrain
indicating great age
and an unusual
“chevron”-terrain that indicates
recent resurfacing.
![Page 20: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
This Voyager image of Triton
hints at the satellites violent past. Notice the
two distinct terrains and the lack of
impact craters. The capture event
created enough energy to
completely melt the satellite erasing previous ancient
craters and creating a new terrain.
![Page 21: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Cantaloupe-terrain
Few Craters and Ice Volcanoes-terrain
![Page 22: Catastrophic Events in the Solar System There are records in the surface and interior of the planets and their satellites that indicate the occurrence.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081511/56649f455503460f94c66f03/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
This type of terrain is unique in the solar system. The lack of craters implies a relatively young age of this
surface.