Astronomy Chapter 5

Compared to Earth, Saturn's core is roughly

10 times more massive

How fast do the upper-level winds over Venus move?

300-400 km/h venus' upper level winds are similar to earth's jet stream

venus vs moon surface

Both Venus and the Moon have numerous impact craters. Because Venus has an atmosphere, small meteoroids burn up before reaching the surface. In contrast, the Moon lacks an atmosphere and is vulnerable to meteoroids of all sizes. In addition, the apparent intense volcanic activity in Venus's past likely reshaped the surface, covering some of the impact craters that might have previously formed.

mercury vs moon features

Features of Mercury: craters, scarps, and intercrater plains. Features of the Moon: craters, scarps and maria Craters are a common surface feature resulting from impact events that can occur on any solid body, whether Mercury, the Moon, or even Earth. Differences between Mercury and the Moon are easily identified. The Moon's maria are smooth, dark, low-lying regions surrounded by lighter-colored highlands. In contrast, Mercury's surface, including the smooth intercrater plains, is uniform in color. The uniformity in color of the intercrater plains implies a similarity in composition, whereas the darker appearance of the Moon's maria represents a difference in composition from the surrounding regions. Scarps are cliff-like structures elevated above Mercury and the Moon's surface.

The main constituent of Jupiter's atmosphere is

Hydrogen

What intrinsic property of Venus makes it very reflective of light?

Its clouds venus's clouds reflect about 70 percent of the incident sunlight back into space

jovian storms

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all exhibit similar atmospheric and weather patterns. Jupiter and Neptune have large, long-lived storms known as the Great Red Spot and the Great Dark Spot. Saturn also exhibits large storm systems, but no such system has been observed on Uranus so far. Another major feature seen on all of the jovian planets is a banded atmospheric circulation pattern consisting of dark belts and bright zones encircling the planet. Other smaller, oval-shaped storm systems have been observed on all of the jovian planets. Jupiter and Saturn also have large-scale cyclones located near their poles, causing polar vortexes. Polar vortices have not been observed on Uranus or Neptune, but they have been detected on Venus, Earth, Mars and Saturn's moon Titan.

uranus/neptune atmosphere

N: Great Dark Spot (large storm) blue colors because high methane (abosrobs red wavelength)

mars surface

N: rolling volcanic plains S: cratered highlands Borealis Basin: largest impact in solar system Tharis Bulge: equator, youngest region Valles Marineris: crack from tecgtonic force Olympus Mons: largest volcanoe, shield prominent polar caps: from water? mountains higher than earth becaue weaker gravity water: runoffs and outflow channels

Identify the statements that correctly describe the characteristics of storm systems on Jupiter

On Jupiter, the larger the storm, the longer it can last. Individual storm systems can interact, resulting in the storm growing or fading out. Storms are localized features, confined and powered by zonal flow. The larger a storm becomes, the more energy must be dissipated for the storm to die out. Thus, on Jupiter, a storm that increases in size is expected to have an increased lifespan. The Great Red Spot, for example, is twice as big as Earth and has existed for hundreds of years. Similar to how storm systems interact on Earth, two storms on Jupiter that are near to each other will interact. Ultimately, the weaker of the two storms will be disrupted. Many smaller storms have come and gone, and even been consumed by larger ones, such as the Great Red Spot. All storm systems are governed by Jupiter's powerful and dominant zonal flow. Storms are therefore localized features confined within the zonal flow patterns. Storms are powered by the atmospheric convection that drives the zonal flow, which restricts them from traveling from one belt or zone to another.

jovian vs terrestrial storms

Storms on Earth and the jovian planets involve circulating systems associated with convective currents: rising flows of warm gases and falling flows of cooler gases. With its proximity to the Sun, Earth receives much stronger solar radiation than the jovian planets. This radiation heats Earth's surface unevenly, which affects how convection currents form and dissipate. The jovian planets are too far from the Sun for solar radiation to be the main cause of convective currents. Instead, the high rotation speeds of the jovian planets and the differential shearing of the various atmospheric layers are thought to produce oppositely-directed, high-speed flows along with the circulating storm systems where these flows interact. Jovian storms last much longer than terrestrial storms;

atmosphere of jupiter description

The dark, low-pressure regions called belts form the downward branch of the convective cycle, and the brighter, high-pressure regions called zones bring material up to the surface from deeper within the atmosphere. Zones and belts vary in latitude and intensity during the year. They are like Earth's atmospheric pressure systems; however, Jupiter's differential rotation causes the belts and zones to wrap all the way around the planet.

venus vs earth surface

Venusv,Earth Plate tectonics:No, Yes Surface terrain: has mountains, rolling plains, and two continents (Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra) has mountains, rolling plains, continents, and oceans Crater sizes: few are less than 25 kilometers in diameter, many have a diameter of 10 meters Past volcanic activity: Yes, Yes

saturn magnetic field

also strong, but smaller than jupiter (smaller mass of metallic H) contains ring system, moons oriented opposite earths

Which of the following properties does not contribute to the longevity of large jovian storms?

atmosphere composed mainly of hydrogen and helium The longevity of storms on the jovian planets appears related to their large sizes - the larger the storm, the longer it lasts. Without rocky surfaces to dissipate their energy, the jovian storms can persist and even grow through mergers with smaller storms. The dominant pattern of opposing high-speed zonal flows makes such mergers possible while creating further turbulent interactions that can feed the storm systems. The Great Red Spot

jupiter's atmosphere

cloud bends parallel to equator convective motion of zones (light, rises, warm) and belts (dark, sink, cool) color because of H, He zonal flow: east stable wind Great Red Spot: hurricane, long-lasting, confined by zonal flow higher temp than other jovians colors indicate cloud depth

In terms of area, the extinct Martian volcano Olympus Mons is about the size of

colorado

Great Red Spot

differential rotation (high speeds) and complex atmosphere structure needed on jupiter bigger storm, the longer it lasts storms can interact (grow/fade out) localized, confined and powered by zonal flow (convection)

T/F: Neptune probably does not have a rocky core

false

T/F: The solid surface of Jupiter lies just below the cloud layers that are visible from Earth.

false

T/F: Valles Marineris is comparable in size to Earth's Grand Canyon

false

Mercury's large overall density suggests that the planet

has a large metal core

What substance is underabundant (compared to Jupiter) in the atmosphere of Saturn?

helium The fraction of helium on Saturn (7.4 percent) is about half the fraction on Jupiter (14 percent).

Why is Neptune bluer than Uranus?

it has more methane

Which of the following statements about the planetary feature known as Olympus Mons is true?

it is a volcanic peak on mars nearly as big across as texas Olympus Mons is nearly 700 km in diameter at its base and rises 25 km above the surrounding plains.

jovian interiors

jupiter: high pressures, temp creates metallic liquid H, core molten rock, high denisty (high pressures) saturn: similar to jupiter, but less extreme Uranus/Neptune: high density, slushy interiors with thick water clouds, similar cores other jovians

Why were Martian volcanoes able to grow so large compared to Earth?

mars's weaker surface gravity The weaker gravity on Mars allowed mountains to grow taller; they weigh less.

terrestrial interiors

mercury: magnetic field (even though slow rotating?), iron rich core, 100% of planet's mass, thick mantle prevents tectonics/volcanism Venus: no magnetic field, molten, iron rich core (similar to earth) mars: weak magnetic field< nonmetiallic core (nonliquid), partly motlen, almost tectonics

What substance is responsible for the colors of Neptune and Uranus?

methane

venus atmosphere

more massive than earth pressure 90x earths 97% CO2, no water sulfiric acid clouds (reflect a lot of sunlight) no surface winds (slow rotation rate) runaway greenhouse: CO2 absorbs infrared closer to sun ->got warmer, water (holds CO2) evaporates, becomes hotter secondary atmosphere of volcanic gases

Which of the following Mars surface features provides dramatic evidence that volcanism has played a role in shaping the surface of Mars?

olympus mons Olympus Mons is a very large shield volcano. You can also see numerous other volcanoes on Mars, including three large ones on the Tharsis bulge.

compared with Uranus, the planet neptune is

roughly the same size

Which of the following provides evidence that water once flowed on Mars?

runoff and outflow channels These features provide direct evidence of water flow in the past on the surface of Mars.

Part complete Why is Saturn's atmosphere almost three times thicker than Jupiter's?

saturn is less massive than jupiter; its gravity is weaker saturn's weaker gravity does not compress the atmosphere into a layer as thin as jupiter's

Why is Saturn's atmosphere less varied in color and appearance than Jupiter's atmosphere?

saturn's top clouds are thicker, with few holes and gaps, and they obscure the deeper layers saturn's lower density allows the cloud layers to remain thicker than those of jupiter

mercury surface

similar craters to moon (not as high/deep) intercrater plains (volcanic in origin) scarp: cliff cutting across craters (crust cooled, shrank, split)

venus surface

smooth, rolling plains, two large mountains (continent sized regions) coronae: large volcanic structures, unique, came from mantle upwelling shield volcanoes: like HA- lava welling up through hot spots in crust large craters: 25 km

Uranus, Neptune Magnetic FIelds

substantial not aligned with rotations and axes, offset from centers may reverse in direction created by circulation of electronically cnductive layer of ammonia ions

saturn's atmosphere

temp lower than jupiter because far from sun weaker gravity = thicker clouds than jupiter H, He much less than jupiter (liquified and sank?) large mass (high escape speed) and low temp (H too slow to escape) -> rotation all but fastest moving gases

What do the different colors in Jupiter's clouds indicate?

the depth at which the clouds reside with jupiter's atmosphere Color is determined by depth in the atmosphere because temperature varies with depth, and temperature determines both the physical state of the chemicals at each level and the chemical reactions that take place.

What two factors enable Saturn to retain its primordial hydrogen?

the planet's large mass (resulting in a high escape speed) and low temp The high escape speed means Saturn can retain all but the fastest moving gases; the low temperature means the hydrogen gas is moving too slowly to escape.

Which statement is NOT true about the polar caps of Mars?

they are predominantly water ice, with a small amount of carbon dioxide IS TRUE They store a large fraction of the gas that was once contained in the Mars atmosphere. They cause variations in the atmospheric pressure. They contain a residual cap, which remains frozen. They shrink and grow with the Mars seasons. The southern residual cap is predominantly carbon dioxide, with some water ice. The northern residual cap is mostly water ice. The seasonal caps are composed entirely of carbon dioxide.

Which of the following statements is NOT true about the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune?

they are stronger than the magnetic field of jupiter IS TRUE They may reverse in direction periodically. They are tilted at large angles to their rotation axes. They are probably created by circulation of an electrically conductive layer of ammonia ions. They are not centered on teh geometric centers of these planets

mar's atmosphere

thin, Co2 dense, cooler than earth global dust storms low density

T/F the magnetic fields of uranus and neptune are highly tilted relative to their rotation axis and offset from their planets centers

true

T/F: Although often referred to as a gaseous planet, Jupiter is mostly liquid in its interior.

true

T/F: Evidence of lava flows is common on the surface of Venus.

true

T/F: Mars has the largest volcanoes in the solar system

true

t/f Europa may have liquid water beneath its frozen surface

true

jupiter magnetic field

very strong (turns fast, big region of conductive fluid) bigger Van Allen belts than earth, particles moving very fast bigger than sun aurorae bigger and vaster

mercury atmosphere

virtually nonexistant: low mass=low gravity=no atmosphere

compared with earth, venus has a level of plate tectonic activity that is

virutally nonexistant