Geo 109 Final

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What causes the Cassini Division, the 400 km wide break in the rings of Saturn?

orbital resonance of the ring particles with the satellites

In what ways are the icy moons of Uranus different from those of Saturn?

slightly higher densities

The nucleus of a comet... (appearance)

small and dark

Why aren't running water and erosion important geologic agents on all planets?

some planets lack solid surfaces, some are too cold, some have the wrong composition for water to exist, some are too hot

The tail of a comet develops...

temporarily when the comet enters the inner solar system

What planetary body has the oldest surface?

the Moon

What are the major differences between Io and Europa?

the composition and surface materials (NOT SIZE, DENISTY, OR AGE)

Differences in the appearance of multiring basins on the Moon with those developed on Callisto are thought to be the result of what?

the difference in the behavior of ice and silicates wen impacted

What is the most important in keeping liquid water on Earth

the distance from the Sun

The Roche limit is...

the distance inside which orbiting materials will not accrete together, produced by tidal interaction between two planetary bodies

The Oort Cloud contains...

the orbit of comets in the outer part of the solar system

Why isn't Earth heated by tidal flexing?

the orbit of the moon is nearly circular, Earth only has one large moon unlike Jupiter

Why are the histories of the small icy satellites of Saturn and Uranus dominated by expansion, unlike the inner planets dominated by contraction?

the outer planets satellites have a lot of water ice that expands as it freezes

Why are the planetary bodies of the inner solar system different in composition from those of the outer solar system?

the planets formed in a thermal gradient around the ancient sun, high-temp solids could form near the ancient sun, large icy cores attracted hydrogen and helium from the nebula

What is the most important control on a planet's present level of geologic activity (especially volcanic and tectonism)?

the thickness of its lithosphere

As a dense particle in a planet moves toward the core, the loss of gravitational potential energy is converted to what energy?

thermal

The icy layers of Jupiter's satellites increase in thickness as one moves from Europa to Callisto because...

they accreted in a thermal gradient centered around Jupiter

Comets glow in the night sky because

they reflect the light from the Sun

the absence of large folded mountain systems on the Moon, Mars, and Mercury is evidence that the lithospheres of these planets...

thickened rapidly as these worlds cooled

The tall mountains of Pluto are composed of what kind of ice?

water

important components of a comet

water ice, silicate materials like olivier, methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide

The grooved terrain of Ganymede is (relative age)

younger than its cratered terrain

What is the evidence that Ganymede and Callisto have more ice in their interiors than Io and Europa do?

Ganymede and Callisto have lower densities

What body is Pluto most similar to in size, composition, and density?

Triton

The dark reddish regions on Charon's north pole result from what process?

Methane and organic molecular deposits from Pluto that condense at Charon's poles

Would you expect to find young basaltic lava flow at the surface of Callisto?

No because it's too cold and does not have silicates near the surface that could melt

How did Pluto's Sputnik Planitia form?

a large impact basin filled with weak nitrogen ice

What is a common process that occurred during the evolution of the satellites of Uranus?

cracking as they expanded late in their histories

Appearance of surface of Europa

crisscrossing stripes and fractures

What do the arrows in the image of Pluto show?

glacial flow directions

What is the most important source of energy that drives the circulation of Saturn's atmosphere?

great rising from the interior

What is the most of abundant of the games comprising Saturn?

hydrogen

Where is Saturn's Roche limit for small icy bodies in orbit around it?

near the outer edge of the rings

Pluto's atmosphere is tenuous and temporary, but what are its constituents?

nitrogen and methane that sublime from the most volatile ices on its surface

which of the Galilean satellites has the most heavily created surface?

Callisto

How did the multiple rings of Valhalla on Callisto form?

Crustal breakage as impact shock waves traveled through the surface

What gives Saturn a yellowish tint?

Crystals of ammonia ice and hydrocarbons in the atmosphere

If you were a solar system explorer in search of liquid water at or near the surface, which of the satellites of Jupiter would be most likely to have it today?

Europa

The composition of the surface of Ganymede is most like which of the other satellites of Jupiter?

Europa

The age of the surface of Europa is like which of the satellites of Jupiter?

Io

What's the most volcanically active body in the solar system?

Io

Statements about the Kuiper belt

It contains many small icy objects in orbit around the Sun; the orbits formed a flattened disk in the outer solar system; Pluto is one of the bodies in the Kuiper belt

Suppose a new planet has been discovered between Venus and Earth and is about the size of Earth's moon. What is probably true?

It should be intensely cratered and lack a thick atmosphere

Why is Uranus considered so odd compared to other planets?

Its spin axis is tipped from vertical by over 90 degrees

Saturn is the most similar in composition and internal structure to what planet?

Jupiter

How do Jupiter and Saturn compare?

Jupiter is denser and has more large satellites

In what ways is the Oort Cloud different than the Kuiper belt?

Oort Cloud is spherical, not disk-shaped; most long period comets come from the Oort Cloud

On Ganymede, grooved terrain formed by which process?

Tectonic disruption of heavily cratered terrain

What is the most likely explanation for Saturn's magnetic field?

The magnetic field forms by convection in a shell of metallic hydrogen

What is the origin of the light-colored streaks extending from the surface of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko?

The streaks are plumes of dust and gas ejected from the interior as the Sun heats it

Why is Uranus so much smaller than Saturn and Jupiter?

There was not enough nebular gas and dust near the region where Uranus formed

In what way is Io similar to Earth's Moon?

about the same size, about the same density, both tidally locked with one face pointed towards their host planet

How did the palimpsests on Ganymede form?

as the icy lithosphere flowed to fill in an impact crater

Why is Pluto considered a dwarf planet by many astronomers?

because it has not cleared its orbital path of debris

Why are comets thought to have originated in a different part of the solar nebula than asteroids?

because they are composed mostly of ices

How did the polygonal shapes on Pluto's Sputnik Planitia form?

by convection within the glacial ice

The particles in the rings of Uranus are...

dark and probably composed of darkened methane ice

General history of catering on a planet

early heavy catering with declining intensity, then intense bombardment, then declining intensity to present

In what way is the magnetic field of Uranus distinctive?

it has an unexpected orientation, it's tilted compared to the spin axis, it is irregular and may be experiencing a reversal

The surface of Io is thought to be less than a million years old because

it has not impact craters

In what way is Earth's atmosphere unique among the moons and planets?

it is rich in oxygen

What is true of the properties of Churyumov-Gerasimenko?

it is very dark because of the presence of organics, it is extremely low in density suggesting pore space inside

What are Saturn's rings composed of?

many small particles of water ice in orbit around Saturn


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