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Mercury's Surface Research Paper

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Mercury is like a large rock. Its surface geology is quite similar to Earth's moon. It has many craters from ancient impacts, and also basins and plains. Some of the craters have filled with lava from the planet's interior, and have become lava plains as a result. Boulders and dust from pulverized rock are found on the surface. There are no rivers. The Mariner 10 and Messenger missions sent back many pictures of Mercury's surface, so we know that there is no weather there to affect the surface. From a geological standpoint, Mercury is identified as a planet that has been long dead. Even though it has not been completely mapped by cameras, scientists studying Mercury believe that its surface has not changed for billions of years.

Venus has an atmosphere of about 96.5 percent carbon dioxide. Nitrogen is present at around 3.5%. Argon, neon, helium and carbon monoxide are also present, as well as other compounds and elements. Because of this, the atmosphere of Venus has an atmospheric pressure that is much heavier than that of earth--over 90 times heavier. The atmospheric closest to the surface of the …show more content…

These plates, along with several smaller ones, are called the lithospheric plates, because they are part of the lithosphere, which is the outermost part of the Earth's shell. . The plate boundaries can be three different types: divergent, transform or subduction. Divergent boundaries occur when the plates are moving away from each other. Transform boundaries are where the plates slide against each other with a back and forth motion. Subduction boundaries occur when an oceanic plate moves under a continental plate. This movement causes volcanic activity and earthquakes. (This boundary is also called convergent.) This activity is always happening, because the plates are constantly in

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