Planetary Surface Processes

Planetary Surface Processes

1. Vertical Features

   • Diapirs
     • Vertical Forces that arise from density instabilities
       • Evident on Europa

2. Compresion Features

   • Folds
     • Slow stress or ductile material
   • Faults
     • Fast stress or brittle material
   • Scarps
     • Ridges produced by Thrust Faults
   • Horst & Graben
     • Regions between Thrust faults
       • Horst = pushed down
       • Graben = Pushed up
         • Found on almost all planetary bodies

3. Planetary Tectonism

   • Large Scale Deformation powered by energy
     • Depends on:
       • Type of Force (direction)
       • Type of Material
       • Condtions
       • Timescale
     • Sources of Stress
       • Internal
         • Tidal Forces
       • External
         • Changes in Surface loads/planetary volume
         • Convection
   • Mars Wrinkle Ridges
     • Low Sinuous Ridges
       • Formed on the Surface
         • Extend for 100s of km
           • Tectonic Features when basaltic lava cooled and contracted

4. Fluvial Processes

   • Occurs on Earth, Mars and Titan

5. Composition Tells us Environment

   • Silica = Terrestrial Carbonates = Marine