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Surface Features Of Venus
The surface of Venus is dominated by geologic features that include volcanoes, large impact craters, and aeolian erosion and sedimentation landforms. Venus has a topography reflecting its single, strong crustal plate, with a unimodal elevation distribution (over 90% of the surface lies within an elevation of -1.0 and 2.5 km) that preserves geologic structures for long periods of time. Studies of the Venusian surface are based on imaging, radar, and altimetry data collected from several exploratory space probes, particularly ''Magellan'', since 1961 (see Venus Exploration). Despite its similarities to Earth in size, mass, density, and possibly composition, Venus has a unique geology that is unlike Earth's. Although much older than Earth's, the surface of Venus is relatively young compared to other terrestrial planets (<500 million years old), possibly due to a global-scale resurfacing event that buried much of the previous rock record. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corona (planetary Geology)
In planetary geology, a corona (plural: coronae ) is an oval-shaped feature. Coronae appear on both the planet Venus and Uranus's moon Miranda and may be formed by upwellings of warm material below the surface. Coronae on Venus The geodynamic surface of Venus is dominated by patterns of basaltic volcanism, and by compressional and extensional tectonic deformation, such as the highly deformed tesserae terrain and the concentrically-fractured coronae. On Venus, coronae are large (typically several hundred kilometres across), crown-like, volcanic features. Coronae were first identified in 1983, when the radar imaging equipment aboard the Venera 15 and Venera 16 spacecraft produced higher-resolution images of some features previously thought to be impact craters. It is believed that coronae are formed when plumes of rising hot material in the mantle push the crust upwards into a dome shape, which then collapses in the centre as the molten magma cools and leaks out at the sides, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aeolian Landform
Aeolian landforms are features produced by either the erosive or constructive action of the wind. These features may be built up from sand or snow, or eroded into rock, snow, or ice. Aeolian landforms are commonly observed in sandy deserts and on frozen lakes or sea ice and have been observed and studied across Earth and on other planets, including Mars and Pluto Terminology The word "aeolian" derives from Æolus, the Greek god of the winds, and the son of Hellen and the nymph Orseis, and a brother of Dorus, Xuthus and Amphictyon. Mechanisms Aeolian landforms are formed when wind moves sediment (see aeolian processes). Sediment particles move when they are lifted by upwards Bernoulli forces that exceed their downwards weight or when they are dragged from their initial position. Depending on the balance of these forces, particles may either creep (roll) across the surface until they settle due to a loss of velocity; hop from point to point; or be suspended entirely in the air. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yardang Lea-Yoakum Dunes
A yardang is a streamlined protuberance carved from bedrock or any consolidated or semiconsolidated material by the dual action of wind abrasion by dust and sand and deflation (the removal of loose material by wind turbulence.) Yardangs become elongated features typically three or more times longer than wide, and when viewed from above, resemble the hull of a boat. Facing the wind is a steep, blunt face that gradually gets lower and narrower toward the lee end. Yardangs are formed by wind erosion, typically of an originally flat surface formed from areas of harder and softer material. The soft material is eroded and removed by the wind, and the harder material remains. The resulting pattern of yardangs is therefore a combination of the original rock distribution, and the fluid mechanics of the air flow and resulting pattern of erosion. Names The word itself is of Turkic origin, meaning ‘steep bank’, as this type of spectacular landscapes rising are best developed in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Impact Craters
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain. Lunar impact craters range from microscopic craters on lunar rocks returned by the Apollo Program and small, simple, bowl-shaped depressions in the lunar regolith to large, complex, multi-ringed impact basins. Meteor Crater is a well-known example of a small impact crater on Earth. Impact craters are the dominant geographic features on many solid Solar System objects including the Moon, Mercury, Callisto, Ganymede and most small moons and asteroids. On other planets and moons that experience more active surface geological processes, such as Earth, Venus, Europa, Io and Titan, visible impact craters are less common because they become eroded, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crater Breakup
Crater may refer to: Landforms *Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet *Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surface **Subsidence crater, a depression from an underground (usually nuclear) explosion *Pit crater, a crater that forms through sinking of the surface and not as a vent for lava *Volcanic crater, a roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity **Caldera, a large cauldron-like depression formed following the evacuation of a magma chamber/reservoir **Maar, a type of volcanic crate caused by a phreatic eruption or explosion **Volcanic crater lake, including a list of lakes that formed in a volcanic or impact crater Music * ''Crater'' (Daniel Menche and Mamiffer album), 2016 *Crater (Fission album), 2004 Places *Crati or Crater, a river of southern Italy *Crater, California, U.S. *Crater (Aden), a district of the Aden Gov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mons (planetary Nomenclature)
Mons (plural: montes , from the Latin word for "mountain") is a mountain on a celestial body. The term is used in planetary nomenclature: it is a part of the international names of such features. It is capitalized and usually stands after the proper given name, but stands before it in the case of lunar mountains (for example, there is a Martian mountain Arsia Mons and a lunar mountain Mons Argaeus). The term ''tholus'' ("dome") is used for names of smaller (especially domical) uplands, and the term '' colles'' ("hills") in names of groups of still smaller knobs. Peculiar round mountains found on Venus get names with the term ''farrum''. Nature of montes The term ''mons'', like other terms of planetary nomenclature, describes only the external view of the feature, but not its origin or geological structure. It is used for mountains of any origin, and objects in this class are very diverse. Usually they are results of tectonic, impact or volcanic processes. Examples of such mount ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aphrodite Terra
Aphrodite Terra is one of the three continental regions on the planet Venus, the others being Ishtar Terra and Lada Terra. It is named for Aphrodite, the Greek equivalent of the goddess Venus, and is found near the equator of the planet. Aphrodite Terra is about half the size of Africa, making it the largest of the terrae. Description Aphrodite Terra was named by the International Astronomical Union, the governing body for planetary and satellite nomenclature, after Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The name was chosen because Aphrodite is the Greek equivalent of the Roman goddess Venus. Located near the equator of Venus, Aphrodite Terra has an area about half the size of Africa, and is much smaller than the rougher Ishtar Terra. It is covered with deep rift valleys. Like Ishtar Terra, Aphrodite Terra also has mountain ranges but they are only about half the size of the mountains on Ishtar. Extending nearly two thirds around the planet, Aphrodite Terra's topography appears b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ishtar Terra
Ishtar Terra is one of the three continental regions on the planet Venus, the others being Aphrodite Terra and Lada Terra. It is a highland region named after the Akkadian goddess Ishtar, and is found in the north of the planet. In size, it is roughly between Australia and the contiguous United States, making it the second-largest of the terrae. On its eastern edge lies the great mountain chain Maxwell Montes, which is about high, compared to Mount Everest at . On one side of the mountain chain is the impact crater Cleopatra Patera, in diameter filled with lava. Ishtar Terra contains the four main mountain ranges of Venus: Maxwell Montes on the eastern edge, Freyja Montes in the north, Akna Montes on the western edge, and Danu Montes in the southern region. These surround the lower plain of Ishtar Terra, which is named Lakshmi Planum (after the Hindu goddess Lakshmi). Ishtar Terra also contains volcanoes named after famous women: Sacajawea and Colette. Ishtar Terra is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tessera (Venus)
A tessera (plural tesserae) is a region of heavily deformed terrain on Venus, characterized by two or more intersecting tectonic elements, high topography, and subsequent high radar backscatter. Tesserae often represent the oldest material at any given location and are among the most tectonically deformed terrains on Venus's surface. Diverse types of tessera terrain exist. It is not currently clear if this is due to a variety in the interactions of Venus's mantle with regional crustal or lithospheric stresses, or if these diverse terrains represent different locations in the timeline of crustal plateau formation and fall. Multiple models of tessera formation exist and further extensive studies of Venus's surface are necessary to fully understand this complex terrain. Exploration Pioneer Venus Orbiter detected regions of anomalous radar properties and high backscatter. Using SAR imaging, the Venera 15 and Venera 16 orbiters revealed these regions to be chaotically tiled terrain, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leda Planitia
This is a list of geological features on Venus. Venus is the second planet from the Sun. Venus is classified as a terrestrial planet and it is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet" owing to their similar size, gravity, and bulk composition (Venus is both the closest planet to Earth and the planet closest in size to Earth). The surface of Venus is covered by a dense atmosphere and presents clear evidence of former violent volcanic activity. It has shield and composite volcanoes similar to those found on Earth. Valles Cytherean valleys are called by the Latin term ''valles'', and are named after river goddesses or after words for the planet Venus (including terms for the ''morning star'' or ''evening star'' specifically) in various languages. Undae Undae on Venus refer to dune fields and are named after desert goddesses. Tesserae Tesserae are areas of polygonal terrain. They are named after goddesses in world mythologies. Rupes Scarps on Venus are called rupes and are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
