When planets begin to melt, the materials in them begin to separate from one another. The heaviest materials, such as metallic iron, sink to form cores. Low-density magmas rise, forming crusts. This process is called differentiation.
Under what circumstances can differentiation occur on a planet?
When planets begin to melt, the materials in them begin to separate from one another. The heaviest materials, such as metallic iron, sink to form cores. Low-density magmas rise, forming crusts. This process is called differentiation.
Under what circumstances can differentiation occur in a planet quizlet?
Under what circumstances can differentiation occur in a planet? The planet must have a molten interior. the rigid rocky material of the crust and uppermost portion of the mantle. What is the most important factor that determines the thickness, and therefore strength, of the lithosphere?
What is the differentiation in planetary geology quizlet?
What is differentiation in planetary geology? The process by which gravity separates materials according to density.
What is not necessary for internal differentiation to occur in a planet?
What is necessary for differentiation to occur in a planet? … No, planetary magnetic fields are generated by moving charges around, and if the core is cold , nothing is moving. Erosion. Surface changes made by wind, water or ice.
Which objects are most likely to be differentiated?
Small asteroids, comets, Kuiper Belt objects, and small moons were likely never heated enough to be differentiated; therefore, their chemical makeup and structure are more representative of their origin.
What is the differentiation in planetary geology?
Planetary differentiation is the separation of different constituents of planetary materials resulting in the formation of distinct compositional layers. Denser material tends to sink into the center and less dense material rises toward the surface.
What is the main reason mountaintops are so cold quizlet?
What is the main reason mountaintops are so cold? Mountaintops are above much of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. … Light gases such as hydrogen move faster than heavier gases and escape from Earth’s gravitational field.
What is the main factor that makes Earth more geologically active than the other terrestrial planets?
Why is the Earth geologically active? Earth is Geologically active because it still has heat within the core. What is particularly unique about the Earth’s atmosphere? It protects the surface against solar radiation, makes our planet warm enough for liquid water to exist, and it is very thin.
In what ways is Earth different from the other terrestrial planets?
In what ways is Earth different from the other terrestrial planets? It has oxygen in its atmosphere. Life can be found almost everywhere. Most of its surface is covered with liquid water.
What are the conditions necessary for a terrestrial planet?
What are the conditions necessary for a terrestrial planet to have a strong magnetic field? Both a molten metallic core and reasonably fast rotation. … The eruption of molten rock from a planet’s interior to its surface. Which of the following best describes the lunar maria?
Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition?
The main difference between asteroids and comets is their composition, as in, what they are made of. Asteroids are made up of metals and rocky material, while comets are made up of ice, dust and rocky material. … Asteroids formed much closer to the Sun, where it was too warm for ices to remain solid.
What two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet?
On global scales, three things can affect this energy flow and therefore, the average global surface temperature. As shown in the figure below, they are the planet’s distance from the Sun, the planet’s surface reflectivity (albedo), and the planet’s atmosphere (through a process called the greenhouse effect).
What allowed the differentiation of Earth’s layers to happen?
The differentiation between these layers is due to processes that took place during the early stages of Earth’s formation (ca. 4.5 billion years ago). At this time, melting would have caused denser substances to sink toward the center while less-dense materials would have migrated to the crust.
How do you differentiate planets?
The easiest way to pick out planets is to remember this quick rule of thumb: stars twinkle and planets don’t. Seen with the naked eye, planets and stars both appear as pinpoints of light. When you observe a star, you’ll notice that it twinkles and the light may appear to change colors.
Why does iron sink to planet’s core during differentiation?
The Iron Core Sinks
This is convective overturn – a process whereby molten material may overturn, transfering heat buried deeply within the planet to the outer layers. … Convective overturn probably was the mechanism that produced the thin crust, and determined the different chemical composition of the crust.
Why are some asteroids differentiated?
Differentiated asteroids are inferred to be objects, or fragments of objects, that were once heated to the point of partial melting and geochemical segregation of materials. Vesta is a classic example of a largely intact differentiated body.
What is process of differentiation?
Differentiation: 1 The process by which cells become progressively more specialized; a normal process through which cells mature. This process of specialization for the cell comes at the expense of its breadth of potential.
What are some ways Venus Earth and Mars are similar quizlet?
Venus, Earth, and Mars are similar in that they consist of rock and metal for the most part; they are terrestrial planets, closer in to the Sun than the jovian planets; all have atmospheres (although they are of different constituents and with different pressures); all have volcanic activity on their surfaces; and all …
What controls planetary differentiation?
The process of planetary differentiation is mediated by partial melting with heat from radioactive isotope decay and planetary accretion. Planetary differentiation has occurred on planets, dwarf planets, the asteroid 4 Vesta, and natural satellites (such as the Moon).
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What led to the differentiation of Earth?
As the Earth grew larger, it’s gravitational field increased and it began to compact as a result of the growing mass of largely unconsolidated material. … The process of compaction also produced heat, which further served to increase the temperature within the still-forming planet.
Are all planets differentiated?
Explanation: Planets are massive enough so that their own gravity causes different phase materials to settle, a process called planetary differentiation. … Some things are not massive enough to emerge as full-fledged planets but still they show differentiation.
Why do the Jovian planet interiors differ?
Why do the jovian planet interiors differ? Accretion took longer further from the Sun, so the more distant planets formed their cores later and captured less gas from the solar nebula than the closer jovian planets. … Different layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures.
What might cause a planet to lose atmospheric molecules quizlet?
Solar wind sweeping: Particles can be stripped away from the planet’s upper atmosphere by collisions with solar wind particles. Thermal escape: Particles gain enough energy near the top of the atmosphere to escape the planet’s gravity.
What is the most important factor in determining if a terrestrial planet has liquid surface water?
What is the most important factor in determining if a terrestrial planet has liquid surface water? A planet’s distance from the Sun. Why is the Earth’s core composed of mostly metals (like iron and nickel)? Iron and nickel are the densest elements.
What caused Earth to be differentiated during which stage of planetary development did that happen?
What caused Earth to be differentiated? During which stage of planetary development did that happen? Heat from a combination of radioactive decay and energy released by infalling matter caused Earth’s interior to melt and the densest material to sink to the core during the first stage of development, differentiation.
What is the main factor that makes Earth more geologically active than the other terrestrial planets quizlet?
Why is the Earth geologically active? Earth is Geologically active because it still has heat within the core. What is particularly unique about the Earth’s atmosphere? It protects the surface against solar radiation, makes our planet warm enough for liquid water to exist, and it is very thin.
What causes the differences in orbits when the planet is small in mass compared to the Star vs when its mass is similar to that of the star?
What causes the differences in orbits when the planet is small in mass compared to the star vs when its mass is similar to that of the star? … So a more massive object will move less than a less massive object when experiencing the same force, but if the two masses are comparable we expect them to move the same.
What features or characteristics does Earth have that makes it different from Venus and Mars?
Perhaps the most strikingly unique feature of Earth is its vast oceans, which cover 70% of the planet’s surface. Earth is the only world in our solar system with liquid water at its surface today. Scientists believe that Mars and Venus may have long ago had oceans, but these are long gone.
What are the main differences of the Earth’s atmosphere when compared to other terrestrial planets in our solar system Mercury Venus and Mars )?
Explanation: The main difference between the Earth’s atmosphere and the one of other planets (such as Venus and Mars) is that about 21% of it is composed by oxygen. Oxygen is a key element to sustain any complex life form on the planet.
How do a dwarf planet and an asteroid differ?
Dwarf planets are satellites, but asteroids are only considered satellites if they orbit something. Comets may be considered satellites when in orbit, but they rarely orbit other structures. The term “satellite” may refer to celestial bodies, but it can also refer to human-made machines that orbit Earth.
How does the sun’s mass compared with that of the planets?
How does the Sun’s mass compare with that of the planets? It is a thousand times more massive than all the planets combined.
What is the difference between a comet and a planet?
Comets are balls of ice and dust in orbit around the Sun. The orbits of comets are different from those of planets – they are elliptical. … The time to complete an orbit varies – some comets take a few years, while others take millions of years to complete an orbit.
Under what circumstances can differentiation occur in a planet quizlet?
Under what circumstances can differentiation occur in a planet? The planet must have a molten interior. the rigid rocky material of the crust and uppermost portion of the mantle. What is the most important factor that determines the thickness, and therefore strength, of the lithosphere?
What is the most important factor that determines the Earth’s temperature?
The Sun is the primary source of energy that influences any planet’s temperature, including Earth. The amount of energy received from the Sun is called insolation; the ratio reflected is called the albedo.
What are the factors properties of Earth which make it a habitable planet describe each factor?
What makes the Earth habitable? It is the right distance from the Sun, it is protected from harmful solar radiation by its magnetic field, it is kept warm by an insulating atmosphere, and it has the right chemical ingredients for life, including water and carbon.
What is Earth’s differentiation?
The differentiation, or organization, of the Earth into layers is perhaps the most significant event in its history. It led to the formation of a core, a crust, and eventually continents. The light elements were driven from the interior to form an ocean and atmosphere. These four blocks are the same size.
What evidence do we have that Earth differentiated?
What evidence do we have that Earth differentiated? The curved paths of seismic waves indicate that the interior density of Earth is greater than can be explained by compression alone. Why are Phobos and Deimos not spherical? Their gravity fields are too weak to pull their material into a spherical shape.
What allowed the differentiation of the Earth’s layers to happen quizlet?
Scientists now understand that the Earth consists of layers, with the densest materials in the core. What allowed the differentiation of the Earth’s layers to happen? … The average temperature on planet Earth is higher than you would expect just from the heating of sunlight alone.