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Earth has active weather and geology. The movement of wind and water on Earth can erode away craters and bury their remnants. Craters may also be distorted by geologic activity, subjected into the mantle, or buried y volcanic deposits.

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Why are some areas of the moon smooth with no craters?

... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.


Why have scientists found few impact craters on Earth?

Scientists have found few impact craters on Earth because the process of erosion, tectonic activity, and volcanic activity continuously reshapes the Earth's surface, gradually erasing evidence of past impacts. Additionally, Earth's active plate tectonics often recycle or cover up old craters. Lastly, the presence of water and atmospheric activity can also contribute to the degradation of impact structures over time.


What evidence indicates that catastrophic impacts have occurred in the solar systems past?

Many impact craters are visible on many planets and satellites of planets. The moon is a perfect example, it is covered with craters, some of which we can see from Earth even without a telescope. We do have a few impact craters that have survived here on Earth, as well, even though the weather on Earth, over long periods of time, tends to smooth away craters.


Why do you see so few craters on the earth compared to the moon?

The moon is hit by many more meteorites than Earth because it has no significant atmosphere to burn them up in. Also as the earths surface is continually changing, visible craters may be filled in, smoothed over or covered up.


How do mountains or craters on the surfaces of the earth and the moon compare with each other?

The biggest difference is the craters on the moon erode at a much slower rate. Here on earth, it takes a few thousand years for a crater to fill in and become not much more than a valley. On the moon, the craters last until ejecta from newer craters fills the holes of the older craters. The mountains of the earth are covered with snow and below the timberline lie trees. There is no snow or trees on the moon. The mountains on the moon look a lot sharper and the rocks stand out because they're not covered in dust. The lunar mountains look much rounder and the entire surface of the moon is covered in a very thin layer of dust.

Related Questions

Do craters cover most of the Earth?

No. Earth has relatively few impacts craters.


Why are some areas of the moon smooth with no craters?

... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.... as compared to Earth, I suppose. On Earth, the weather will remove most traces of craters rather quickly, in a few million years for large craters, in a fraction of a million years for smaller craters.


Does Europa have craters?

It has very few, it's surface is dominated by water ice.


Why does earth have so few visible craters?

Earth is a 'living' planet; its surface is always being changed by the processes of erosion and geological action. Those craters that still remain are either too big to be noticed specifically as craters without the right perspective or, as noted in the question, so few in number that they are a major rarity.


Does earth have craters in it?

Yes - but the earth also has weather. In a short period of time (in astronomical terms) the craters are "erased" by the weather. A few newer ones are still plainly visible, notably Meteor Crater near WInslow, Arizona. That one is 50,000 year old or less (very recent) and can still be seen clearly. In it's early days, earth almost certainly looked like the moon or Mercury look today. But weather heals all wounds.


Why does earth lack craters?

Earth does have impact craters, but it has much few than the moon or Mercury and many of them are not readily visible. The main reason is that Earth has many active geologic processes that renew and change its surface, burying and destroying impact craters. If an impact crater on Earth is clearly visible then it probably formed quite recently in geologic history. Many of the impact craters on the moon and Mercury are billions of years old, dating to when the solar system was young and large asteroid impacts were far more common than they are now. Very little of Earth's crust from that time remains intact. By contrast craters on Earth that are tens of millions of years old are not readily visible.


Why have scientists found few impact craters on Earth?

Scientists have found few impact craters on Earth because the process of erosion, tectonic activity, and volcanic activity continuously reshapes the Earth's surface, gradually erasing evidence of past impacts. Additionally, Earth's active plate tectonics often recycle or cover up old craters. Lastly, the presence of water and atmospheric activity can also contribute to the degradation of impact structures over time.


Why do you think there are millions of impact craters on the moon and so few on Earth?

The Earth has had far more asteroid and meteorite impacts than the moon. Impact craters on Earth however are eroded by the atmosphere and water and also filled in by water and sediment. Since the moon has next to no atmosphere craters tend not to erode so they will always be visable.


Why do you see several impact craters on the earth but few on the moon?

There are relatively few craters identified on the surface of the Earth while there are thousands (millions) on the moon. It is hard to find one point on the moon that is not in one crater and there are craters in craters in craters. (See images in related link for Moon.) Obviously, the major reason behind this is that the craters that formed on the Earth eroded over time due to wind, rain and other natural factors which are nearly absent on the moon. Thus Earth's craters disappear over millions of years while the craters on the moon remain for billions of years. (The primary way a crater is made to disappear from the surface of the moon is by having another impact crater formed and the dust and debris from later impacts disturb or destroy or cover the original crater.)


What evidence indicates that catastrophic impacts have occurred in the solar system?

Many impact craters are visible on many planets and satellites of planets. The moon is a perfect example, it is covered with craters, some of which we can see from Earth even without a telescope. We do have a few impact craters that have survived here on Earth, as well, even though the weather on Earth, over long periods of time, tends to smooth away craters.


Why isn't earth covered in craters?

Earth is geologically active and has moving air,water, and ice on its surface. As a result, plate tectonics and weathering largely destroy most impact craters within a few million years, and most of what is left is often buried under sediment. Craters do exist on Earth, but apart from the youngest, they are not readily apparent.


Did the earth avoid flying space debris to avoid craters?

No. Earth has probably been hit by more space debris than the moon has. However, Earth has geologic processes that bury and destroy impact craters over time so that few of them are visible today.