AS101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Permafrost, Tharsis, Olympus Mons
Document Summary
Mars is smaller than earth with a radius about 50% that of earth and a mass about. 10% but with a density that is roughly 70% of earth"s, closer to that of earth"s. Thephotosdisplaypolaricecapsmadeofco ordryiceandnotwaterice,althoughwater 2 ice in large quantities almost certainly exists below the martian surface at both poles. The surface of mars has huge volcanoes (largest in the solar system), deep canyons, huge dune fields, and many other features not seen elsewhere in the solar system. Earth"s continents and is the only such one on mars, although, like venus, there is no plate tectonic activity on mars (the continents on earth are shifting) The huge canyon known as valles marineris dominates the surface of mars around the tharsis bulge and was formed when the planet"s surface bulged out under the forces of crustal formation, resulting in this cracked formation.
