SECTION 9.1 CONNECTING PLANETARY INTERIORS AND SURFACES
Interior of Terrestrial Planets Know about Earths interior from clues given to us by seismic waves Core: highest density, primarily made of metals Mantle: rocky material, moderate density, mostly minerals of silicon, oxygen, and other elements Crust: lowest-density rock, granite, basalt, relatively thin Gravity pulls denser material towards the bottom (differentiation) o At one point, the whole interior would have been molten Cores should be proportionate due to even distribution of metal and rock in early solar system, but they are not, so there must have been giant impacts Lithosphere: a planets outer layer (consisting mostly of crust and upper mantle) o Cool and rigid, floats on softer rock below o Thinner on big planets o The thicker it is, the harder it is to break/have volcanic eruptions The bigger the body, the more round it is b/c it will have more gravity to overcome the strength of solid rock Geological Activity: processes that change a planets surface long after formation Interior heat is the primary driver Sources of heat: o Heat of accretion: a planetesimal approaching a forming planets gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, which is converted to thermal energy on impact which is transferred to the planet o Heat from differentiation: denser material moves inward, losing GP energy, which is converted to thermal energy by friction o Heat from radioactive decay: particles flying off at high speeds collide with neighboring atoms and heat them (still ongoing) How Interiors Cool: o Convection: hot material expands, rises and cool material contracts and shrinks Creates convection cells o Conduction: transfer of heat from hot material to cool material o Radiation: photons of thermal radiation carry energy out to space o The bigger the planet, the longer it stays hot inside Magnetic Fields Electrons move with molten metal in the liquid outer core, cause magnetic field Requirements for a magnetic field: o An interior region of electrically conducting fluid o Convection in that layer o At least moderately rapid rotation Earth is only planet with one