Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth...

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Venus

Transcript of Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth...

Page 1: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

Venus

Page 2: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

Venus

•  SimilartoEarthin– size(95%diameterofEarth)

– density(95%ofEarth)– mass(82%ofEarth’smass)– Hasanatmosphere!

Thickcloudlayerobscuressurface.Beforeeraofsatellites,itwasbelievedthatVenuswasaswampy,warmplanetthatharboredlife.

Page 3: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  Mariner2(1962)wasfirstsuccessfulmissiontoVenus(therewere4beforethisthatfailedforvariousreasons)

•  Orbitedtheplanet.Foundthat:•  VenusisHot(~500degCor900degF)•  VenushasliUleornomagneVcfield•  Nowaterinatmosphere(97%CO2)•  Mariner5detectedatmosphericpressure90xthatofEarth’s.

MarinerMissions

Page 4: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  Venera7wasthefirstsatellitetolandonVenusand“lived”for23minutesbeforepressure,heatandsulfuricaciddropletskilledit.

•  Venera8measuredlightlevels.Lightenoughforpictures.•  Venera9tooktheveryfirstopVcalimagesofthesurface.

Bunchofrocks,onalavabed.Didn’tlastlongeither.•  Venera10‐14tookmoreimages,lifeVmearound~2hours

VeneraMissions

Page 5: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

Venera9Images

Page 6: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  Venusrotatesveryslowly(243Earthdays).AVenusiandayislongerthanaVenusianyear(225Earthdays).

•  RotaVonisretrograde,sunrisesinwestandsetsineast.•  SlowrotaVon–causedbyfricVonaldragofatmosphere.•  SmallinducedmagneVcfieldfrominteracVonofsolarwind

andIonosphere.

OtherVenusFacts

Page 7: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  SincedensityandsizeofVenusaresimilartoEarth,thencoreshouldbesimilartoEarth’score.Magnetosphereshouldbesimilaraswell.

•  ButsmallVenus’intrinsicmagneVcfieldisafracVonofEarth’s(~1/100000).Weird.Possiblyduetosolidcore,nomoltenoutercoretocreatedynamoandinducemagneVcfield.

MoreVenusFacts

Page 8: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  FromtheperspecVveoftheEarth,Venushasphaseslikeourmoon.ThisisbecauseVenusislocatedinsidetheorbitoftheEarth.AndunlikeMars,JupiterandotherplanetsoutsideEarth’sorbit,wedon’talwaysseethesunlitside

•  Cloudsarecomposedofsulfuricacid(H2SO4,reallynastycorrosivestuff)whichstartat50kmabovethesurface.BelowthisalVtude,theatmosphereappearsclear.

EvenMoreVenusFacts

Page 9: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  CO2andH2Oaregreenhousegases–transparenttoopVcallightbutabsorbalotofinfraredlight(heat).

•  Sunemitslightprimarilyinvisiblepartofspectrum.Thisgetsabsorbedorreflectedbyplanet.

•  Theplanetemitslightitself–ininfrared.Carbondioxideandwatervaporabsorbinfraredandare“transparent”tovisiblelight.

•  DumpingmoreCO2andH2Ovaporintoatmosphereincreasestheamountofgreenhousegasestherebyincreasingthetemperature.

GreenhouseEffect

Page 10: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  Temperatureofsurfacereachesboilingpoint(100Cor212F)ofwater.Waterevaporatesfromoceans,dumpingH2Ointoatmosphere‐>increasingtemp‐>acceleraVngtheevaporaVon‐>dumpsmorewaterintosky‐>increasestempandsoon….

•  NotethatVenustemperatureiswaybeyondtheboilingpointofwater,soyeah,Venusatmosphereistheproductofrunawaygreenhouseeffect.

•  Watermoleculesrisetotopofatmospherearebrokenapart,andblastedawaybysolarwind.

RunawayGreenhouseEffect

Page 11: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  Problem–howdoyouexplorethesurfaceofVenuswhen–  a.eachlandingprobethrownatittransmitsfor~1hour…NotenoughVme!

–  b.orbiterscan’tseethroughheavyclouds•  SoluVon!Radarmapping•  PioneerVenusProbes(1978)werethefirsttodothis.

•  MagellanMission(1990‐1994)highlysuccessfulathighresoluVonimaging…..buthowdoesradarwork?

Neededmoredata…

Page 12: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  RadarstandsforRAdioDetecVonAndRanging.

•  Asourceemitsapulseofradiowaves.Thesewavesbounceoffa“target”(planetsurface).

•  ThewavesbounceinalldirecVons,however,somecomebackinthedirecVonofthesource.

•  Conveniently,aUachedtothissourceisadetectorandreceiverthatmeasurestheVmeittakesforthewavetotravelthedistance.

•  Inmathterms:Distance=3mexspeedofpulse/2.

–  Thespeedofthepulseisspeedoflight(300,000km/s)

–  thefactor2isneededtoaccountforthewavetravelingtoandawayfromtarget.

Radarsimplified

Page 13: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  AmazingHiresradarmaps:

MagellanResults

Page 14: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  Found:– NoindicaVonofoceans(atleastinlast500millionyears).Noerosion.

–  TectonicacVvityisnonexistent•  randomlydistributedvolcanoes(notonplateboundaries)

•  faultlinesexist,butnotsimilartoridges/rinsonEarth•  NosubducVonzones

– Millionsofvolcanoes,butnoapparentongoinglavaflow.VolcanoesmaybeacVvebutpresentlythereisnosolidevidence.

–  SurfaceisrelaVvelyyoung300‐500Myrs

MagellanResults

Page 15: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  ChainsofVolcanoes–likeHawaiianIsland“hotspot”formaVon.– ButthisispartofseveralrandomlyspreadvolcanicformaVons.

MagellanResults

Page 16: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  NewweirdfeatureswithnoanalogonEarth– Coronae(100km‐1000km)probablycausedbymagmaliningthesurface,coolsthensinksformingcircularrings.

– Arachnoids(precursortoCoronae?)Smallerversionsofcoronaewithradiallines.

MagellanResults

Page 17: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

•  SimilarfeaturestoEarth:– Shieldvolcanoes(flatvolcanoescausedbylavaflowaccumulaVon)

– Caldera‐>Howcanonetellthedifferencebetweenimpactcratersandvolcanoes?

MagellanResults

Page 18: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

ImpactcratersvsVolcanicCraters

•  Impactcraters:– centralpeak– sharpedges

•  Volcanoes– BullseyeridgepaUern– smoothcraterfloor

–  rounded/flaUenedrim–  lavaflow

Isthiscausedbyameteororvolcano?

Page 19: Venus - University of Oregonhomework.uoregon.edu/pub/class/121/venus.pdfVenus • Similar to Earth in – size (95% diameter of Earth) – density (95% of Earth) – mass (82% of Earth’s

Impactcraters

•  Nosmallcraters,meteoritesareprobablydestroyedinatmosphere.

•  Craterclustersexist–largermeteoritesbreakupbeforeimpact

•  Alsoalackoflargecratersindicatesresurfacedarea.