Term
| Clues to the Interior structure of planets |
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Definition
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Term
| Clues to the Interior Structure of planets (2) |
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Definition
- Many planets act like a magnet
- Magnetic field caused by a dynamo
- To produce a planetary magnetic field, you need
- Electrical conductor
- Conductor must be liquid
- Spinning quickly
[image] |
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Term
| The Earth's Magnetosphere (picture) |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
- Magnetosphere traps charged particles emitted from the Sun in region called Van Allen Belts
- protons and electrons
- high energies
[image] |
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Term
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Definition
| If solar activity is strong, some particles will leak into the atmosphere causing aurora (Northern and Southern Lights) |
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Term
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Definition
- Average density ~ 5500 kg/m3
- Earth mostly rock and metal
- Silicon, iron, and oxygen very common
•Interior structure may be found by measuring how earthquake waves move through the planet [image] |
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Term
| Interior Structure of the Earth (2) |
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Definition
- Crust: thin, rocky
- Mantle:basalts–viscous liquid undergoing convection
- Outer core: Liquid iron and nickel
- magnetic field
- seismic studies
- Inner core: Solid iron and nickel –high pressure makes core solid despite high temperatures
[image] - Temperature and pressure increase as you move inward
- Leftover heat from formation
- Radioactive decay of elements
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Term
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Definition
- Lithosphere = solid crust and upper mantle
- Mantle further down is more plastic and can flow
- Lithosphere is fractured into many plates floating on denser mantle material
[image] |
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Term
| Geologic activity on Earth |
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Definition
Most activity occurs near plate boundaries [image] |
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Term
| Interior Structure of Mercury |
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Definition
- p= 5430 kg/m3(similar to Earth)
- Core of Earth under higher pressures
- Mass of Earth is greater
- Metals compressed to higher densities
- Mercury has proportionally much more metal
- Weak magnetic field (1/100 of Earth’s)
- little molten metal OR
- owing to slow spin
[image] |
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