Sections Review

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Vocabulary

Review Questions

1. What do the mare look like on the Moon and why are they so smooth?
2. Why does the Moon not have erosion?
3. What two reasons explain why the Moon is geologically dead?
4. How can you use the number of craters to determine the age of a planet's or moon's surface?
5. The lunar highlands have about ten times more craters on a given area than do the maria. Does this mean that the highlands are ten times older? Explain your reasoning.
6. In what ways are the Moon and Mercury like each other? In what ways are they different from each other?
7. In what ways are the Moon and the Earth like each other? In what ways are they different from each other?
8. In what ways is the giant impact theory better at explaining the formation of the Moon than other Moon formation theories?
9. Why is Io such a geologically-active moon? Describe how its interior is kept molten.
10. What is the interior of Europa like?
11. What is so unusual about Europa's surface?
12. Why is Europa another good place to look for life beyond the Earth?
13. What are four lines of evidence for a liquid water ocean below Europa's surface? Which line is shared with Ganymede and Callisto?
14. What causes the parallel ridges on Ganymede?
15. What about the compositions of the jovian planets' moons enable them to be geologically active despite their small size?
16. What is Callisto like and how do you know the age of its surface?
17. How do we know that Ganymede and Callisto might have a liquid water layer?
18. Compare/contrast Titan with our Moon (size, mass, surface conditions, etc.)
19. What is so special about Titan?
20. What is Titan's atmosphere made of and why is it so thick?
21. How is Titan probably like the early Earth?
22. In what ways is Titan like Earth today?
23. What is a recent surprising discovery about Enceladus? Why is it another possible place to look for life beyond the Earth?
24. How cold is Triton and what is it made of?
25. Is Triton's surface young or old and what causes some of Triton's strange surface features?
26. What is unusual about Triton's orbit?
27. What are Saturn's rings made of and how do we know?
28. How do we know the sizes of the particles in Saturn's rings?
29. How are grooves and gaps made in the rings of Saturn?
30. What unusual things were found in Saturn's rings and what are the likely causes?
31. What formed the rings of Saturn and when were they made?
32. Compare/contrast the rings of Uranus and Neptune with Saturn's rings.

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last updated: June 4, 2010