Answer Key - Lab 13 EPSC 1170 Planetary Geology Lab

1. Terrestrial planets have high densities because of their rocky and metal composition. Jovian planets have low densities because they are mostly made of gas

2. It is significantly lower than the other terrestrial planets suggesting that Mars has a relatively small core.

3. Rock and metal

4. Yes the larger Jovian planets have low densities and the smaller terrestrial planets have higher densities.

5. The smaller a terrestrial planet the quicker it loses its internal heat and the more likely its geologically dead.

6. The larger terrestrial planets (Venus, Earth) have thicker atmospheres compared with smaller terrestrial bodies.

7. Geological Active

8. Earth, which has oxygen in its atmosphere

9. Mercury Ice Venus Vapor Earth Liquid Earth’s Moon Ice Mars Ice

10. Basalt 11. Imbrian

12. Plagioclase 13. Nectrian and Pre-Nectrian

14. See Figure 4

15. Yes. Because the younger Maria have fewer craters and the older highlands were formed before the period of asteroidal bombardment, which is when most the Moon’s craters formed

16. Erotsthenian craters lack bright rays, which have been eroded by space weathering processes and Copernican craters still retain there bright rays.

17 18 Youngest Unit C Copernican Faults Imbrian Unit B Imbrian Oldest Unit A Nectrian & Pre-Nectrian

19. 3.2 Ga

20. Pre-Nectrian & Nectrian Tectonic and Extra-terrestrial Imbrian Tectonic and Extra-terrestrial Erotsthenian & Copernican Extra-terrestrial

21. Basalt 22. Andesite 23. Igneous Rocks 24. Gypsum

25. Close to dead if not already dead

26. Tectonic Processes Volcanoes, Fault Valleys Extra-terrestrial Processes Craters Surface Processes Valley Formed by Running Water Sand Dunes and Wind Formed Features Features Formed by the Moving of Ice

27. Ancient stream valleys and evidence to suggest that larger water bodies were once present.

28. Where there is water, there may be life?