AST101H5 Lecture Notes - Continental Drift, Ultraviolet, No Rain
Document Summary
Moon: slow rotation, solid, rocky core no field. Mercury: slow rotation and solid but metallic does not have a magnetic field. Mars: weak gravity but cool temperature atmosphere. Atmosphere: mostly co2 because no rain to wash it out, no plants to convert it. Interior: small, metallic core, probably solid no magnetic field, no continental drift. Surprises: huge volcanoes, large rifts, evidence of flowing water, ice. Atmosphere: 96% co2 (not o2 or n2). Surface temperature: 470 degree celsius (743 k) hotter than pizza oven. It is slightly closer to the sun than earth, makes a big difference: have volcanoes that we assume to emit co2 and h2o like earth"s volcanoes. But venus is too hot for liquid water to form . No rain to wash co2 from atmosphere. Note: earth"s rocks have as much co2 as venus has in its atmospheres rain removed that much co2 from our atmosphere. All of this because venus is a bit closer to the sun.
