An Introduction to the Solar System

Ongoing advances in Solar System exploration continue to reveal its splendour and diversity in remarkable detail. This undergraduate-level textbook presents fascinating descriptions and colour images of the bodies in the Solar System, the processes that occur upon and within them, and their origins and evolution. It highlights important concepts and techniques in boxed summaries, while questions and exercises are embedded at appropriate points throughout the text, with full solutions provided. Written and edited by a team of practising planetary scientists, this third edition has been updated to reflect our current knowledge. It is ideal for introductory courses on the subject, and is suitable for self-study. The text is supported by online resources, hosted at (http://www.cambridge.org/solarsystem3) www.cambridge.org/solarsystem3 , which include selected figures from the book, self-assessment questions and sample tutor assignments, with outlines of suggested answers. Cover An Introduction to the Solar System Title Copyright Contents INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 A TOUR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 1.1 A grand tour 1.1.1 Mercury 1.1.2 Venus 1.1.3 Earth and the Moon 1.1.4 Mars 1.1.5 Asteroids 1.1.6 Jupiter 1.1.7 Saturn 1.1.8 Uranus 1.1.9 Neptune 1.1.10 Pluto and the Kuiper Belt 1.1.11 Comets 1.2 The formation of the Solar System 1.3 The layout of the Solar System 1.4 Physical properties of Solar Systembodies 1.5 Summary of Chapter 1 CHAPTER 2 THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE TERRESTRIAL PLANETS 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Investigating Earth’s internal structure 2.2.1 Density and the messages in the rocks Comparing terrestrial rock types Comparing terrestrial rocks and meteorites 2.2.2 Seismic evidence for layering 2.2.3 The composition of Earth’s layers Core Mantle Crust Other terrestrial bodies In which types of substances did elements exist during the cooling of the solar nebula? 2.3 Origins of planets and of planetary layering 2.3.1 Condensation, accretion and collision 2.3.2 Assembly, melting and differentiation 2.3.3 Evidence from the Moon 2.4 Turning up the heat – how to ‘cook’ a planet 2.4.1 Origins of primordial heat, differentiation and core formation 2.4.2 Tidal heating 2.4.3 Radiogenic heating 2.4.4 Heat transfer and its effects within the terrestrial planets Conduction Convection Advection 2.4.5 Heat loss and plate tectonics 2.5 Dead or alive? Plate tectonics and resurfacing 2.5.1 Earth 2.5.2 The Moon 2.5.3 Mercury 2.5.4 Venus 2.5.5 Mars 2.5.6 Io 2.5.7 Europa 2.6 Summary of Chapter 2 CHAPTER 3 PLANETARY VOLCANISM – ULTIMA THULE? 3.1 Introduction 3.1.1 What is volcanism? 3.1.2 Melting by other methods 3.1.3 The concept of partial melting 3.1.4 Magma generation in silicate bodies – peridotite to basalt alchemy 3.1.5 Non-silicate partial melting and the generation of icy magmas 3.2 Styles of volcanism on Earth 3.2.1 Effusive volcanism and lava flow dynamics 3.2.2 Explosive volcanism: eruption columns and pyroclastic eruptions Pyroclastic eruptions Eruption columns Dispersal of volcanic ejecta 3.3 Factors affecting extraterrestrial volcanic eruptions 3.3.1 Gravity 3.3.2 Atmospheric density 3.3.3 Surface and atmospheric temperatures 3.3.4 Cryovolcanism 3.3.5 Summary 3.4 Volcanism on the terrestrial planets and planet-like bodies 3.4.1 Earth 3.4.2 The Moon 3.4.3 Mercury 3.4.4 Venus 3.4.5 Mars 3.4.6 Io 3.4.7 Cryovolcanism on icy bodies 3.5 Summary of Chapter 3 CHAPTER 4 PLANETARY SURFACE PROCESSES 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Historical background 4.3 The impact process 4.3.1 Contact and compression stage 4.3.2 Excavation stage 4.3.3 Modification 4.3.4 Additional effects 4.4 Identifying impacts 4.4.1 Crater morphology Microcraters Simple craters Complex craters Elongate craters Peak-ring and multi-ring basins 4.4.2 Diagnostic shock features in rocks Shock effects in minerals Shock metamorphosed rocks Impact glass Geochemical signatures of impact 4.5 Impactors and targets 4.5.1 Types of impactor 4.5.2 Nature of the target 4.6 Craters as chronometers 4.6.1 Complicating factors 4.7 Fluvial and aeolian processes 4.7.1 Fluvial processes 4.7.2 Aeolian processes 4.7.3 Sedimentary rocks 4.8 Summary of Chapter 4 CHAPTER 5 ATMOSPHERES OF TERRESTRIAL PLANETS 5.1 Introduction 5.1.1 Origins and retention of planetary atmospheres 5.2 Exploration 5.3 Composition of the atmospheres 5.4 Atmospheric structure 5.4.1 Temperature profile 5.4.2 Heating and cooling Effective temperature The greenhouse effect The stratosphere and the ozone layer Heating and cooling of the mesosphere and thermosphere 5.5 Cloud formation 5.6 Atmosphericmotion 5.7 Ionospheres and magnetospheres 5.8 Summary of Chapter 5 CHAPTER 6 THE GIANT PLANETS 6.1 Introduction 6.2 The structures of the giant planets 6.2.1 Models of the structure 6.2.2 Obtaining evidence 6.3 Jupiter and Saturn 6.3.1 Interiors 6.3.2 Atmospheres and clouds – structure and composition Studying the atmosphere Atmospheric composition Atmospheric profiles 6.3.3 Winds and storms Jupiter The Great Red Spot Saturn 6.3.4 Magnetospheres Jupiter Saturn 6.4 Uranus and Neptune 6.4.1 Composition and interior 6.4.2 Atmospheres Composition Atmospheric profile Winds and storms 6.4.3 Magnetospheres 6.5 Summary of Chapter 6 CHAPTER 7 MINOR BODIES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Orbits and Kepler’s laws 7.2.1 Tidal heating 7.3 Asteroids 7.3.1 Asteroid sizes 7.3.2 Asteroid types 7.3.3 Asteroids up close 7.3.4 Vesta and Ceres 7.4 Centaurs and the Kuiper Belt 7.4.1 Observational properties 7.5 Comets 7.5.1 Comet orbits 7.6 Interplanetary dust 7.7 Summary of Chapter 7 CHAPTER 8 THE ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Physical formation processes 8.2.1 The beginnings of a solar system 8.2.2 From dust to protostars 8.2.3 The Solar Nebula 8.2.4 Condensation of materials 8.2.5 Coagulation of grains 8.2.6 Planetesimals and embryonic planets 8.2.7 Planetary growth in the inner Solar System 8.2.8 Formation of the giant planets 8.2.9 Planetary migration 8.2.10 Origin of the asteroids and comets 8.2.11 Satellite systems 8.3 Summary of Chapter 8 CHAPTER 9 METEORITES: A RECORD OF FORMATION 9.1 Introduction 9.1.1 The meteorite–asteroid connection 9.2 The forensic record 9.2.1 Cosmic sediments 9.2.2 Refractory bits and pieces 9.2.3 Oxygen isotopes and the origin of the Moon 9.2.4 Riding the x-wind 9.2.5 Low-temperature materials 9.2.6 Asteroidal melting processes 9.3 Summary of Chapter 9 ANSWERS AND COMMENTS APPENDIX A USEFUL PLANETARY DATA APPENDIX B SELECTED PHYSICAL CONSTANTS AND UNIT CONVERSIONS APPENDIX C THE ELEMENTS GLOSSARY FURTHER READING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FIGURE REFERENCES INDEX A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z This undergraduate-level textbook presents fascinating descriptions and colour images of the bodies in the Solar System, the processes that occur upon and within them, and their origins and evolution. The third edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect our current knowledge.