This article is about the geology of terrestrial planets in our solar system. For geological aspects of other planets, see List of geological features of the Solar System.
Geology of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Ceres
The inner planets. From left to right: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and terrestrial dwarf planet, Ceres (sizes to scale)
Part of a series on
Geology
Science of the solid Earth
Index
Outline
Category
Glossary
History (Timeline)
Key components
Minerals
Rock (Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic)
Sediment
Plate tectonics
Strata
Weathering
Erosion
Geologic time scale
Laws, principles, theories
Stratigraphic principles
Principle of original horizontality
Law of superposition
Principle of lateral continuity
Principle of cross-cutting relationships
Principle of faunal succession
Principle of inclusions and components
Walther's law
Topics
Composition
Geochemistry
Mineralogy
Sedimentology
Petrology
Structure of Earth
Landform structures
Geomorphology
Glaciology
Structural Geology
Volcanology
Geologic history
Geological history of Earth
Research
Branches of geology
Geologist (List)
Methods
Geological survey
Applications
Engineering
Mining
Forensics
Military
Planetary geology
Lists of geological features of the Solar System
Geology of solar terrestrial planets
By planet and body
Mercury
Venus
Moon
Mars
Vesta
Ceres
Io
Titan
Triton
Pluto
Charon
Geology portal
v
t
e
The geology of solar terrestrial planets mainly deals with the geological aspects of the four terrestrial planets of the Solar System – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars – and one terrestrial dwarf planet: Ceres. Earth is the only terrestrial planet known to have an active hydrosphere.
Terrestrial planets are substantially different from the giant planets, which might not have solid surfaces and are composed mostly of some combination of hydrogen, helium, and water existing in various physical states. Terrestrial planets have a compact, rocky surfaces, and Venus, Earth, and Mars each also has an atmosphere. Their size, radius, and density are all similar.
Terrestrial planets have numerous similarities to dwarf planets (objects like Pluto), which also have a solid surface, but are primarily composed of icy materials. During the formation of the Solar System, there were probably many more (planetesimals), but they have all merged with or been destroyed by the four remaining worlds in the solar nebula.
The terrestrial planets all have roughly the same structure: a central metallic core, mostly iron, with a surrounding silicate mantle. The Moon is similar, but lacks a substantial iron core.[1] Three of the four solar terrestrial planets (Venus, Earth, and Mars) have substantial atmospheres; all have impact craters and tectonic surface features such as rift valleys and volcanoes.
The term inner planet should not be confused with inferior planet, which refers to any planet that is closer to the Sun than the observer's planet is, but usually refers to Mercury and Venus.
^Weber, RC; Lin, PY; Garnero, EJ; Williams, Q; Lognonné, P (January 2011). "Seismic Detection of the Lunar Core". Science. 331 (6015): 309–12. Bibcode:2011Sci...331..309W. doi:10.1126/science.1199375. PMID 21212323. S2CID 206530647.
and 27 Related for: Geology of solar terrestrial planets information
topics as determining the properties and processes of the internal structure of the terrestrialplanets, and also looks at planetary volcanism and surface...
Lists of astronomical objects Geologyofsolarterrestrialplanets Planetary nomenclature Planetary geology List of extraterrestrial dune fields List of tallest...
planets in fiction, see: Fictional planetsof the Solar System, Extrasolar planets in fiction § List, and List of Star Wars planets and moons List of...
The presence of water on the terrestrialplanetsof the Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the closely related Earth's Moon) varies with each...
of Neptune Exploration of Pluto Solar System models Formation and evolution of the Solar System – Nebular hypothesis Terrestrialplanets Iron planets...
role in the final accretion of the terrestrialplanets. During this primary depletion period, the effects of the giant planets and planetary embryos left...
Mining geology is an applied science which combines the principles of economic geology and mining engineering to the development of a defined mineral resource...
classified as a terrestrialplanet and is the second smallest of the Solar System's planets with a diameter of 6,779 km (4,212 mi). In terms of orbital motion...
accretion. The Solar System has at least eight planets: the terrestrialplanets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, and the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn...
recovered on Earth). The planetsof the Solar System are divided into two groups: the four inner planets are the terrestrialplanets (Mercury, Venus, Earth...
the eight classical planetsof the Solar System. The prototypical dwarf planet is Pluto, which for decades was regarded as a planet before the "dwarf"...
comprised a very small fraction of the solar nebula, the terrestrialplanets could not grow very large. The giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and...
Engineering geology is the application ofgeology to engineering study for the purpose of assuring that the geological factors regarding the location,...
Steve G. (2008). "Terrestrial systems". In Perrow Michael R.; Davy, Anthony J. (eds.). Handbook of Ecological Restoration: Principles of Restoration. Cambridge...
Timeline ofgeology c. 1025 – al-Biruni publishes the Kitāb fī Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind (Researches on India), in which he discusses the geologyof India and...
line Felsic Geologic age Geologic fault Geologic modeling Geologic period Geologic time scale Geological phenomenon Geologist Geologyof the Alps Geomorphology...
regarded as a planet nonetheless. According to the IAU's explicit count, there are eight planets in the Solar System; four terrestrialplanets (Mercury, Venus...
processes that shape the planet. It is analogous to the field ofterrestrialgeology. In planetary science, the term geology is used in its broadest sense...
construction-grade stone. Economic geology is a subdiscipline of the geosciences; according to Lindgren (1933) it is “the application ofgeology”. It may be called the...
An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not then...
history of life, and the Earth's past climates. Geologists broadly study the properties and processes of Earth and other terrestrialplanets. Geologists...
which drive the orbital evolution ofterrestrialplanets. Data collected on the orbital eccentricities of extrasolar planets has surprised most researchers:...
Thermal stress weathering can be caused by any large change of temperature, and not just intense solar heating. It is likely as important in cold climates as...
study ofplanets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System)...
processes that shape the planet. It is analogous to the field ofterrestrialgeology. In planetary science, the term geology is used in its broadest sense...
Global Information
