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Volcanism and tectonism are the dominant endogenic means by which planetary surfaces change. This book aims to encompass the broad range in character of volcanism, tectonism, faulting and associated interactions observed on planetary bodies across the inner solar system - a region that includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon, Mars and asteroids. The diversity and breadth of landforms produced by volcanic and tectonic processes is enormous, and varies across the inner solar system bodies. As a result, the selection of prevailing landforms and their underlying formational processes that are described and highlighted in this volume are but a primer to the expansive field of planetary volcanism and tectonism. This Special Publication features 22 research articles about volcanic and tectonic processes manifest across the inner solar system.

Planetary Tectonism across the Solar System, Volume Two in the Comparative Planetology series, addresses key questions surrounding planetary tectonism, such our understanding of the global contraction of Mercury, the formation of giant rift zones on Saturn's icy moons, or the tesserated terrain on Venus. It makes connections to Earth, such as how deformation on Mercury is both similar and different, and how to apply theoretical considerations behind plate tectonics on Earth to other planets. The book offers an up-to-date, accessible and comprehensive discussion of the major tectonic processes and landforms that shape and drive the evolution of planets, moons and smaller bodies. By placing a singular emphasis on comparing tectonic processes and landforms on all relevant Solar System bodies, with the explicit objective of providing a systems-level understanding of this widespread phenomenon, this book is ideal for anyone studying planetary tectonism. Includes an introduction that places the book in the context of the larger Comparative Planetology series Compares tectonic processes on all relevant Solar System bodies, providing a systems-level understanding of this widespread phenomenon that shapes and drives the evolution of planets, moons and smaller bodies Features over 100 color illustrations and charts to better convey concepts Offers additional online content, including figures, animations, videos and interviews with contributing authors

Identifying the ways in which faults initiate and propagate in disparate tectonic environments is fundamental for understanding regional and global deformation on rocky and icy bodies throughout the solar system. Furthermore, the kinematics and mechanisms of faulting provide a framework for understanding the range of dynamic processes that operate (or have previously operated) on planetary surfaces. To provide insight into these processes, my research focuses on strike-slip fault formation on Earth, Venus, and tidally deformed satellites (e.g., Europa, Enceladus, Phobos). Strike-slip faults are widespread across tectonic environments and their geometry, morphology, and kinematics are easily identifiable through remote sensing techniques, making this class of structures ideal for reconstructing the histories of planetary crusts. In this work, I integrate geologic observations and interpretations with experimental analogues to investigate the tectonic development of strike-slip faults in response to (1) pre-existing heterogeneous crust structure and/or composition, and (2) cyclic "tidal" stresses. The geometry and morphology of strike-slip faults can be used to test competing models of structural deformation and geodynamic properties of solar system bodies. The current understanding for strike-slip fault initiation, geometry, and morphology, derived from field and experimental studies in homogenous material by unidirectional simple shear, suggests a sequence of deformation variable only by the shape of an underlying fault. Strike-slip fault zones are defined as having a primary throughgoing fault that accommodates the majority of regional strain and flanking offset folds and fractures that form at characteristic angles away from the applied stress direction. However, along-strike variations in morphology and lateral offsets, pervasive off-fault deformation, and the absence of throughgoing faults do not adhere to anticipated outcomes of traditional strike-slip fault formation models. Instead, I propose that the sequence, geometry, and morphology of strike-slip faults are highly dependent on the tectonic environment in which they were formed. Using experimental analogues I show that (1) strike-slip faults that initiate in structurally heterogeneous (i.e. previously deformed or compositionally disparate) crust fit a distributed deformation pattern that results in widening of the fault zone, fracture deflection, and regional strain accommodation across many faults exhibiting small or no lateral offsets (as opposed to a single throughgoing fault), and (2) the process of cyclic bidirectional horizontal shearing results in strike-slip fault morphologies that resemble commonly observed features on the surfaces of tidally deformed objects that are not observed elsewhere in the solar system in association with strike-slip faulting. In addition, I employ a scaling model to estimate crust strength on Europa and evaluate geodynamic processes for Europa, Enceladus, Phobos, Earth, and Venus. A more complete understanding of strike-slip faulting in response to diverse tectonic environments allows for improved tectonic reconstructions and interpretations of planetary surfaces and histories, respectively. By evaluating several planetary surfaces through the use of tectonic models, experimental analogues, and remote sensing observations, I propose and test that brittle strike-slip deformation is more complex than previously supposed, and highly dependent on the environment in which formation occurred. The implications for the results presented here span topics from earthquake hazard analysis to astrobiology, and broadly suggest that care must be taken when interpreting stress states, histories, and geodynamic processes based solely on fault structure.

This volume takes an interdisciplinary approach to the evolution of terrestrial planets, addressing the topic from the perspectives of planetary sciences, geochemistry, geophysics and biology, and solar and astrophysics. The review papers analyze the chemical, isotopic and elemental evolution of the early Solar System, with specific emphasis on Venus, Earth, and Mars. They discuss how these factors contribute to our understanding of accretion timescales, volatile delivery, the origin of the Moon and the evolution of atmospheres and water inventories of terrestrial planets. Also explored are plate tectonic formation, the origin of nitrogen atmospheres and the prospects for exoplanet habitability.The papers are forward-looking as well, considering the importance of future space missions for understanding terrestrial planet evolution in the Solar System and beyond. Overall, this volume shall be useful for academic and professional audiences across a range of scientific disciplines. Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Reading Terrestrial Planet Evolution in Isotopes and Element Measurements"

In recent years, planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge. Deposits of water ice exist at the Moon's poles. Discoveries on the surface of Mars point to an early warm wet climate, and perhaps conditions under which life could have emerged. Liquid methane rain falls on Saturn's moon Titan, creating rivers, lakes, and geologic landscapes with uncanny resemblances to Earth's. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 surveys the current state of knowledge of the solar system and recommends a suite of planetary science flagship missions for the decade 2013-2022 that could provide a steady stream of important new discoveries about the solar system. Research priorities defined in the report were selected through a rigorous review that included input from five expert panels. NASA's highest priority large mission should be the Mars Astrobiology Explorer Cacher (MAX-C), a mission to Mars that could help determine whether the planet ever supported life and could also help answer questions about its geologic and climatic history. Other projects should include a mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa and its subsurface ocean, and the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission to investigate that planet's interior structure, atmosphere, and composition. For medium-size missions, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 recommends that NASA select two new missions to be included in its New Frontiers program, which explores the solar system with frequent, mid-size spacecraft missions. If NASA cannot stay within budget for any of these proposed flagship projects, it should focus on smaller, less expensive missions first. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 suggests that the National Science Foundation expand its funding for existing laboratories and establish new facilities as needed. It also recommends that the program enlist the participation of international partners. This report is a vital resource for government agencies supporting space science, the planetary science community, and the public.

The exterior of a planet often reflects its internal workings. On planets with little to no erosion, the surface geology can record billions of years of planetary evolution. Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system, has not experienced aqueous erosion and as such, is an ideal site for exploring the longest-lived and most ancient planetary processes. These include global contraction (a decrease in planet volume), tidal despinning (slowing of the planet's rotation), and reorientation (a shift in the orientation of the rotational axis). Each of these processes contributes to stresses that have influenced the tectonic development of structures like faults and folds in the rocks, often basalts, that cover the surface of the planet. On Earth, regional processes are also recorded in local structures. Studying the development of faults and folds is important for understanding the tectonic context of their structural evolution. Research presented in this dissertation ties together Earth and other-planetary tectonism, deciphering what structures are telling us about planetary evolution. By describing how basalts deform, I relate their deformation to more widespread processes. I present the first quantitative estimates for strain rates from global contraction on Mercury ranging back ~4 Ga, and describe the likely structural style of faulting based on the most detailed tectonic map ever produced of another planet. Results from mapping have also allowed for the constraint of the timing of despinning and reorientation. An investigation of an Earth analogue to these structures, the Yakima Fold Province of central Washington state is also carried out. The structures are represented with a three-dimensional model produced from structural data collected in the field and ~44 km of seismic profile interpretations. Insight into the distribution of deformation across these folds and faults has allowed me to intimately relate the strain observed in the belt to the tectonic setting of the Cenozoic northwest, including the opening of the Basin and Range, subduction of the Juan de Fuca and Farallon plates, and hotspot volcanism in the Snake River Plain.

This book provides an up-to-date interdisciplinary geoscience-focused overview of solid solar system bodies and their evolution, based on the comparative description of processes acting on them. Planetary research today is a strongly multidisciplinary endeavor with efforts coming from engineering and natural sciences. Key focal areas of study are the solid surfaces found in our Solar System. Some have a direct interaction with the interplanetary medium and others have dynamic atmospheres. In any of those cases, the geological records of those surfaces (and sub-surfaces) are key to understanding the Solar System as a whole: its evolution and the planetary perspective of our own planet. This book has a modular structure and is divided into 4 sections comprising 15 chapters in total. Each section builds upon the previous one but is also self-standing. The sections are: Methods and tools Processes and Sources Integration and Geological Syntheses Frontiers The latter covers the far-reaching broad topics of exobiology, early life, extreme environments and planetary resources, all areas where major advancements are expected in the forthcoming decades and both key to human exploration of the Solar System. The target readership includes advanced undergraduate students in geoscience-related topics with no specific planetary science knowledge; undergraduates in other natural science domains (e.g. physics, astronomy, biology or chemistry); graduates in engineering and space systems design who want to complement their knowledge in planetary science. The authors’ backgrounds span a broad range of topics and disciplines: rooted in Earth geoscience, their expertise covers remote sensing and cartography, field mapping, impact cratering, volcanology and tectonics, sedimentology and stratigraphy exobiology and life in extreme environments, planetary resources and mining. Several generations of planetary scientists are cooperating to provide a modern view on a discipline developed from Earth during and through Space exploration.

Offers an authoritative synthesis of knowledge of the planet Mercury after the MESSENGER mission, for researchers and students in planetary science.

This book is an essential reference volume that surveys tectonic landforms on solid bodies throughout the Solar System.

Oceans were long thought to exist in all corners of the Solar System, from carbonated seas percolating beneath the clouds of Venus to features on the Moon's surface given names such as "the Bay of Rainbows” and the "Ocean of Storms." With the advent of modern telescopes and spacecraft exploration these ancient concepts of planetary seas have, for the most part, evaporated. But they have been replaced by the reality of something even more exotic. For example, although it is still uncertain whether Mars ever had actual oceans, it now seems that a web of waterways did indeed at one time spread across its surface. The "water" in many places in our Solar System is a poisoned brew mixed with ammonia or methane. Even that found on Jupiter's watery satellite Europa is believed similar to battery acid. Beyond the Galilean satellites may lie even more "alien oceans." Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan seems to be subject to methane or ethane rainfall. This creates methane pools that, in turn, become vast lakes and, perhaps, seasonal oceans. Titan has other seas in a sense, as large shifting areas of sand covering vast plains have been discovered. Mars also has these sand seas, and Venus may as well, along with oceans of frozen lava. Do super-chilled concoctions of ammonia, liquid nitrogen, and water percolate beneath the surfaces of Enceladus and Triton? For now we can only guess at the possibilities. 'Alien Seas' serves up part history, part current research, and part theory as it offers a rich buffet of "seas" on other worlds. It is organized by location and by the material of which various oceans consist, with guest authors penning specific chapters. Each chapter features new original art depicting alien seas, as well as the latest ground-based and spacecraft images. Original diagrams presents details of planetary oceans and related processes.

Long before Galileo published his discoveries about Jupiter, lunar craters, and the Milky Way in the Starry Messenger in 1610, people were fascinated with the planets and stars around them. That interest continues today, and scientists are making new discoveries at an astounding rate. Ancient lake beds on Mars, robotic spacecraft missions, and new definitions of planets now dominate the news. How can you take it all in? Start with the new Encyclopedia of the Solar System, Second Edition. This self-contained reference follows the trail blazed by the bestselling first edition. It provides a framework for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system, historical discoveries, and details about planetary bodies and how they interact—and has jumped light years ahead in terms of new information and visual impact. Offering more than 50% new material, the Encyclopedia includes the latest explorations and observations, hundreds of new color digital images and illustrations, and more than 1,000 pages. It stands alone as the definitive work in this field, and will serve as a modern messenger of scientific discovery and provide a look into the future of our solar system. · Forty-seven chapters from 75+ eminent authors review fundamental topics as well as new models, theories, and discussions · Each entry is detailed and scientifically rigorous, yet accessible to undergraduate students and amateur astronomers · More than 700 full-color digital images and diagrams from current space missions and observatories amplify the chapters · Thematic chapters provide up-to-date coverage, including a discussion on the new International Astronomical Union (IAU) vote on the definition of a planet · Information is easily accessible with numerous cross-references and a full glossary and index

Copublished with the American Geophysical Union as American Geophysical Union Special Publication 71 This volume is a memorial to Don L. Anderson, former director of the Seismological Laboratory of the Caltech Institute of Technology, recipient of the Crafoord Prize, the National Medal of Honor, and numerous other awards. A geophysicist extraordinaire, he contributed much to our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the interior of Earth. The book, comprised largely of chapters written at Anderson's invitation, reflects his interdisciplinary career. It includes papers on anisotropy, the seismic structure of the mantle, mantle convection, the statistics of melting anomalies, planetary geology, tectonics, the thermal budget of Earth, lithospheric structure, geochemistry, and flood basalts.

Geologic Time Scale 2020 (2 volume set) contains contributions from 80+ leading scientists who present syntheses in an easy-to-understand format that includes numerous color charts, maps and photographs. In addition to detailed overviews of chronostratigraphy, evolution, geochemistry, sequence stratigraphy and planetary geology, the GTS2020 volumes have separate chapters on each geologic period with compilations of the history of divisions, the current GSSPs (global boundary stratotypes), detailed bio-geochem-sequence correlation charts, and derivation of the age models. The authors are on the forefront of chronostratigraphic research and initiatives surrounding the creation of an international geologic time scale. The included charts display the most up-to-date, international standard as ratified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy and the International Union of Geological Sciences. As the framework for deciphering the history of our planet Earth, this book is essential for practicing Earth Scientists and academics. • Completely updated geologic time scale • Provides the most detailed integrated geologic time scale available that compiles and synthesize information in one reference • Gives insights on the construction, strengths and limitations of the geological time scale that greatly enhances its function and its utility

Designed for freshman/sophomore level planetary geology and solar system courses in geology departments and solar system courses in astronomy departments. Fully revised and updated, Exploring the Planets presents a thorough, systematic examination of planets, moons, asteroids and comets in our solar system. Treating each body in-depth and with great detail, it begins with discussion of small bodies and moves towards larger bodies as it emphasizes the roles of heat and tectonics in planetary evolution. The outer planets are discussed in order outward from the sun to emphasize the role distance from the sun plays in determining composition. Soundly organized around important themes, this text provides a theoretically based examination that facilitates comparative study of bodies and is accessible to non- specialists.

A witty, irreverent guide to the birth, development, and state-of-the-art of the most important theory in Earth Science. Written in non-technical language, the book traces the evolution of plate tectonics from its roots in twentieth-century controversy, via the 1960s revolution and general acceptance of the theory, to the realization that plate tectonics is the process that makes the Earth unique in the solar system and suitable for life. Having subsumed earliertheories of continental drift and sea-floor spreading, plate tectonics itself is now evolving into a truly global theory of planetary circulation. The book is aimed at the interested non-scientist, butwill be valuable reading for A-level science and geography students and first-year undergraduates.

Stargazers have observed Mercury, Venus, and Mars—the other small, rocky planets in our solar system besides Earth—for thousands of years. More recently, we have begun to explore our neighbors in outer space via flyby spacecraft, probes, and rovers. Readers will learn how these expeditions have expanded our knowledge of these planets’ atmospheres, surfaces, features, and even potential for life. A must-read for anyone interested in discovering more about space exploration’s past, present, and future.

Once perceived as distant, cold, dark, and seemingly unknowable, Pluto had long been marked as the farthest and most unreachable frontier for solar system exploration. The Pluto System After New Horizons is the benchmark research compendium for synthesizing our understanding of the Pluto system. This volume reviews the work of researchers who have spent the last five years assimilating the data returned from New Horizons and the first full scientific synthesis of this fascinating system.