Astronomy 1021 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Tharsis, Lunar Mare, Geology Of The Moon

• School: Western University
• Department: Astronomy
• Course: Astronomy 1021
• Professor: Robert Cockcroft

Document Summary

Moon + mercury: mercury is about 40% larger than the moon, internal heat lost long ago because they are so small, not outgassing, ancient volcanic and tectonic activity. Footprints + tire tracks: will remain for millions of years, micrometeorites will eventually erode (also explains the lu(cid:374)a(cid:396) (cid:862)soil(cid:863) o(cid:396) regolith) Exaggerated moon colors: due to different composition, (cid:862)light(cid:863) zo(cid:374)es: lu(cid:374)a(cid:396) highla(cid:374)ds, hea(cid:448)il(cid:455) (cid:272)(cid:396)ate(cid:396)ed, olde(cid:396, dark smooth zones: lunar maria, result of volcanism, less cratered, younger. Lunar maria: formed by floods of lava, note: the interior of the moon has since cooled and is likely solid. Me(cid:396)(cid:272)u(cid:396)y"s h(cid:396)i(cid:374)kage: long cliffs indicate that mercury shrank early in its history. Mercury: caloris basin: huge impact crater, 1350km in diameter, violent impact reverberated throughout planet and jumbled the crust on precisely the opposite side. Summary: moon and mercury geology: lunar highlands. So much younger geologically: few tectonic features. No evidence for more recent geological activity on either object: mercury.