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How do scarps on Mercury differ from geological faults on Earth?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Scarps are thought to have been formed when the planet's iron core cooled and contracted, causing the crust to crack. Faults on Earth are the result of tectonic activity.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
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What are scarps on mercury?
Cliffs/Canyons in the surface of a planet.
The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by?
The crust cooling and shrinking.
Why do we suppose that the lobate scarps on mercury's surface formed?
Mercury has shrunken through time. As Mercury cooled and shrank, the crust wrinkled.
Why do neither Earth nor Earth's moon have lobate scarps like the ones observed on Mercury?
As we see in the news this week (20 Aug 2010) the Moon _does_ have lobate scarps. So we only need to deal with Earth. The theory is that the scarps are created due to contraction due to cooling of the interior of the body. Our tectonically active planet has plates that are in constant motion. Most of this is believed to be driven by convection of the molten core, but with movable plates, any contraction is easily accommodated by the same mechanism. Earth's system of tectonic plates lets it handle the contraction from cooling, or the convection driven motion of the plates in a way that generates our own analog of lobate scarps. Where a plate subducts (think South America's west coast) a 'scarp', in this case the Andes mountains, is pushed up adjacent to it.
How are scarps formed?
Scarps are vertical displacements of the ground surface along a fault, which may be represented by small rises or by steep cliffs. A fault scarp with relatively level land on each side is also called an escarpment.
What are scarps on mercury?
Cliffs/Canyons in the surface of a planet.
The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by?
The crust cooling and shrinking.
Why do we suppose that the lobate scarps on mercury's surface formed?
Mercury has shrunken through time. As Mercury cooled and shrank, the crust wrinkled.
What planet has scarps on its surface?
Mars has multiple scarps on its surface. Olympus Mons has several major ones. Olympus Mons is the highest elevation in the solar system.
Why do neither Earth nor Earth's moon have lobate scarps like the ones observed on Mercury?
As we see in the news this week (20 Aug 2010) the Moon _does_ have lobate scarps. So we only need to deal with Earth. The theory is that the scarps are created due to contraction due to cooling of the interior of the body. Our tectonically active planet has plates that are in constant motion. Most of this is believed to be driven by convection of the molten core, but with movable plates, any contraction is easily accommodated by the same mechanism. Earth's system of tectonic plates lets it handle the contraction from cooling, or the convection driven motion of the plates in a way that generates our own analog of lobate scarps. Where a plate subducts (think South America's west coast) a 'scarp', in this case the Andes mountains, is pushed up adjacent to it.
What birds feed on food scarps?
Jays, crows, blackbirds, juncos, sparrows.
How are scarps formed?
Scarps are vertical displacements of the ground surface along a fault, which may be represented by small rises or by steep cliffs. A fault scarp with relatively level land on each side is also called an escarpment.
What did the poor eat in Mary queen of Scot's time?
They Would Eat Scarps That They Would Find
What is a fault scarp?
A geological landform, a scarp is a vertical relocation of the ground along either side of a fault, usually after an earthquake, one side being left higher than the other. It often marks the surface extension of an existing fault below. Scarps can be small or large, in some cases creating steep cliffs which may later erode.
Different between fault-line scarp and fault scarp?
"A fault line and fault are the same cause the fault line has the same traces for a fault :}} have fun" That is incorrect. A fault is displaced ground, where the footwall (or hanging wall in the case of reverse faults) has been upthrust and an area of strata is exposed that was previously below the surface. A fault-line scarp is an erosional feature, often resultant from reverse faults, because their scarps are gravitationally unstable and are almost always associated with inactive and old faults. Differential erosion can work away at less resistant beds while leaving behind a scarp of more resistant beds.
What are some characteristics of the planet Mercury?
The surface of Mercury is similar to the moons. Most of the craters peppering Mercury's surface were caused 3.7 or 4.5 billion years ago. The Great Bombardment was the time when craters were left on Mercury, earth's moon, and other surfaces in the universe. The craters on Mercury are flatter and have thinner rims than the ones on Earth. Bach and Mozart are examples of crater names. The Caloris Basin is the largest crater on Mercury. Its diameter is around 800 miles. Surrounding the Basin are the Caloris Mountains. These mountains were formed by piles of material were thrown out of the Basin. The weird terrain is almost opposite Caloris Basin. It consists of hills, ridges and grooves that cut across craters. The weird terrain my have been formed by shock waves that raced through the center of the planet and outward early in Mercury's history. A series of cliffs that are 100's of miles long run along Mercury's surface. These cliffs are called 'scarps'. The scarps were also probably formed early in the planets history. The surface is covered in a thin layer of dust in most areas. === === Young craters have sharp rims and bright rays extending outward. Others are degraded, with rims smoothed from crashing meteorites.
What is it called when faults move gradually rather than suddenly?
Faults are breaks in the crust where the crust has moved. The types of dip-slip faults are normal and reverse faults. In both of these, the movement is along the slope of the fault. Sudden movements along these faults can produce fault scarps. Layers of rock being misaligned is evidence of fault movement. Fault creep is caused by slow movement along the fault.In a normal fault, the plates are moving away from each other. This is due to tension. When the fault moves, the footwall rises relative to the hanging wall. Normal faults occur at divergent boundaries, such as ocean ridges. Normal faults can produce fault-block mountains.In a reverse fault, the plates are moving towards each other. This is due to compression. Here, the footwall falls relative to the hanging wall. A thrust fault is a special type of reverse fault, where the angle is shallow. Reverse faults occur at convergent boundaries, like subduction zones.A strike-slip fault is where the two plates move horizontally past each other. The force between them is called shearing. This type of fault is often called a transform fault, because they occur at transform boundaries.
